Hearing loss decisions — 2019

The Board denied service connection for a left knee condition, right knee condition, and left ear hearing loss. The Veteran's current meningitis, sleep apnea, and hemorrhoids were not found to be related to his military service.,Service connection was also denied for the Veteran's claimed conditions of left knee condition, right knee condition, left ear hearing loss, meningitis, sleep apnea, and hemorrhoids.

The Veteran's disability rating for bilateral hearing loss was reduced from 30 percent to 10 percent effective February 1, 2015. The RO found that the improvement in his hearing had actually improved his ability to function under ordinary conditions of life and work.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for both bilateral hearing loss and prostate cancer, so the cases are dismissed.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection of bilateral knee condition, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus due to inadequate examinations and opinions.

The Veteran's service connection claim for a dental disability is denied, and the claim for hearing loss in the right ear is granted.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss had been manifested by no worse than level III hearing acuity in the right ear and level III hearing acuity in the left ear. As a result, the Board denied an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's claim for an evaluation in excess of 20 percent for bilateral hearing loss was denied, and the effective date for service connection was also denied. The Board found that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for a higher rating based on his audiometric results, which showed Level IV impairment in the right ear and Level VI impairment in the left ear.

The Veteran's tinnitus is currently rated at 10 percent, the maximum allowed under VA guidelines. The Board has not yet issued a statement of the case (SOC) for his claim of an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss and will need to do so before proceeding with further action.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current disabilities were not caused by his military service.

The Veteran's initial claim for an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied, and his TDIU claim due to service-connected disabilities was also denied. The Board found that the Veteran’s hearing loss did not meet or approximate the criteria for a compensable rating at any time since the effective date of service connection.

Your claims for right knee disorder, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus have been remanded due to new evidence being added to the record. You will need to provide a Supplemental Statement of the Case (SSOC) with this new information.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that the evidence did not support a link between the condition and active military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there is no evidence of a disease or injury in service and noting intervening post-service occupational noise exposure. The Board also noted that the Veteran had normal hearing at discharge from military service.

The Veteran's appeal includes multiple issues related to his service-connected conditions and new claims. The Board has determined that a DRO hearing is necessary for the Veteran.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus but denied service connection for hearing loss.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, Parkinson’s disease, and other conditions, preclude him from securing and following substantially gainful employment due to his education and occupational experience.

The Veteran's tinnitus and left knee disability are granted as service connected, but his bilateral hearing loss is denied.,The Board has determined that the evidence is at least in equipoise for both tinnitus and left knee disability, but not for bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's left ankle disability and bilateral hearing loss have been granted a compensable rating, with the effective date set at September 9, 2016.,An earlier effective date for service connection is denied.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, left hand nerve damage, right hand nerve damage, left foot nerve damage, and right foot nerve damage as there is no evidence of a current disability.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and remanded the remaining issues of service connection for a low back disorder, an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD), increased disability evaluations for traumatic arthritis of the right knee and left knee, and an increased disability evaluation for bilateral hearing loss.