Hearing loss decisions — 2019

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus due to further development being needed, including verifying his periods of active duty, ACDUTRA, and INACDUTRA service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there was no evidence to support a nexus between his current hearing loss disability and in-service noise exposure. The preponderance of the medical evidence did not support the claim.

The Veteran's meibomian gland dysfunction with dry eye syndrome is rated at a 20% disability rating, effective as of the date of the decision. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has been granted an initial compensable rating from September 27, 2010 to May 16, 2013 and denied for higher ratings thereafter.

The Veteran's service connection claim for tinnitus was denied, but his right ear hearing loss and bilateral knee disabilities were granted. The rating for arthritis of the right knee remains at 10 percent, while the left knee replacement is rated at 30 percent.

The Board has reopened the claims for service connection for left ear hearing loss and tinnitus, but has remanded both issues due to insufficient evidence. The claim for right ear hearing loss remains denied.

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss is granted as service-connected, while his posttraumatic stress disorder claim is denied.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are granted as service-connected.,The Veteran's spasm and cramping of the left posterior calf and right posterior calf are granted as secondary to his service-connected pes planus.

The Veteran's respiratory disorder to include sinusitis and allergic rhinitis, bilateral hearing loss disability, and tinnitus were not incurred in service nor are they otherwise related to service.

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 60 percent for bilateral hearing loss was denied. A compensable rating of 10 percent for a painful scar from residuals of pilonidal cyst and a compensable rating of 10 percent for left-sided paresthesia status post pilonidal cyst excision were granted.

The Board has decided to remand the cases of bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus for further development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and scheduling a VA audiology examination.

The Veteran's TDIU claim was denied as his service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is currently rated as noncompensable, and the Board has remanded this issue for further development.,Tinnitus is currently rated at 10 percent, which is the maximum schedular rating available.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim to reopen his service connection for bilateral hearing loss as there was no new and material evidence submitted, and thus the claim remains denied.

The Veteran's initial claim for an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss disability was denied as his audiometric findings have shown no more than Level I hearing acuity in both ears, and he has not had an exceptional pattern of hearing loss at any time.

The Veteran did not serve 90 consecutive days of active military service during a period of war, thus his death pension benefits are denied.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of brain trauma and bilateral hearing loss due to conflicting opinions from VA examiners. The case will be returned for further development.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is found to have started during service and is related to the noise exposure he experienced in service. As a result, service connection for bilateral hearing loss is granted.

The Veteran's appeal for an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss and a TDIU due to service-connected disabilities has been denied. The Board found that the Veteran does not meet the schedular criteria for a compensable rating for his hearing loss, as his hearing acuity was shown to be at level II in both ears. For the TDIU claim, the Board determined that the Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus do not preclude him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's appeals for increased evaluations and service connection have been REMANDED due to the need for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records, scheduling examinations, and ensuring compliance with remand directives.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to noise exposure in service. The VA will schedule a new examination to determine if these conditions are related to his military service.