Hearing loss decisions — 2019

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's reported history of ringing in his ears since military service is credible. Service connection was denied for bilateral hearing loss as there is no evidence of a current disability.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for effective dates prior to August 31, 2015 are denied as there was no formal claim pending before this date. The appeal is remanded for further development regarding service connection for left and right knee disabilities.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to inextricably intertwined issues. The Veteran's employment at a nuclear facility post-service may be relevant to his current claims.

The Veteran's claim for increased rating of his back disability was denied. He is currently rated at 20% for the period after February 14, 2018.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is etiologically related to acoustic trauma sustained in active service and grants entitlement to service connection.

The Veteran's hearing loss is rated as noncompensable (0 percent) due to the severity of his bilateral hearing impairment.,Service connection for asthma and hemorrhoids is denied because there is no evidence that these conditions began during service or are related to any in-service injury, event, or disease.

The Board denied the appellant's request for an earlier effective date for service connection of tinnitus and right ear hearing loss, finding that the June 2013 rating decision was final due to lack of appeal within one year. The effective date remains January 7, 2015.

The Veteran's service connection for left ear hearing loss is granted. The cases of right ear hearing loss, ischemic heart disease, PTSD, and TDIU are all remanded due to the need for additional evaluations.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and hyperlipidemia. The Veteran's hypertension, sleep apnea, and dermatophytosis (tinea) are being remanded for further examination and opinion.,Service connection is not granted for the Veteran's claimed conditions as there is no current disability or evidence of a relationship to service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is related to his active service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is granted due to his service-connected bilateral hearing loss, which has rendered him unemployable.

The Board has remanded the case due to a need for an additional medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss, specifically addressing in-service noise exposure.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, low back disability, sleep apnea, skin disorder (seborrheic dermatitis), and type II diabetes mellitus due to a lack of evidence showing current disabilities or a link between the conditions and service.,Service connection was not granted as there is no evidence of a current disability for any of these conditions under VA regulations.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and opinions.,The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for neutropenia is being remanded as there may be a worsening of his condition since the last examination in July 2012.,The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and opinions.,The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for a right hand scar is being remanded as there may be a worsening of his condition since the last examination in July 2012.,The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and opinions.,The Veteran's claim for service connection is being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and opinions.,The Veteran's claim for service connection is being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and opinions.,The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and opinions.,The Veteran's claim for service connection is being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and opinions.,The Veteran's claim for service connection is being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and opinions.,The Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) is being remanded.

The Veteran's service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been denied as there is no evidence of current disabilities. The claim for left knee condition (cervical strain) has been remanded due to incomplete medical records.,Service connection cannot be granted for the Veteran's neck disability because it was not shown during his active service, and there is insufficient evidence linking it to a currently diagnosed left knee condition.

The Board has decided to remand the cases of bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus for further development as a new VA medical opinion is needed.

The Veteran's back condition, right ear hearing loss disability, and left ear hearing loss disability are all found to be related to his military service. However, the Veteran's bilateral calf muscle claudication is not considered service-connected.,The Veteran was exposed to herbicide exposure during his service in Vietnam, which may have contributed to his sinusitis condition.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, low back disability, right wrist disability, right knee disability, and left knee disability. The Veteran's current tinnitus is found to be related to his military noise exposure during active service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus have been denied as there is no evidence of a nexus between the disabilities and active service.

The Veteran's left ear hearing loss, left knee disorder, sleep disorder, aortic aneurysm, and hypertension have been granted service connection based on the presumption of chronicity for these conditions.