Hearing loss decisions — 2019

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current condition is related to his in-service noise exposure. Service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability was denied as there is no evidence of a nexus between the current disability and service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for basal and squamous cell carcinoma has been granted. The Board found that the evidence established a direct link between his sun exposure during military service and his current condition, granting service connection. Service connection was also granted for bilateral hearing loss disability, but the Board noted there was no competent negative evidence regarding its etiology.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and PTSD, but denied service connection for these conditions. The Veteran was found not to have a current disability for VA purposes in both cases.

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

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 70% disabling, and he has other service-connected conditions. The Board finds that further development is necessary to determine if TDIU should be granted.

The Veteran's claims for hearing loss, tinnitus, respiratory disorder (asbestos), skin cancer, ruptured groin, left index finger amputation, double compound fracture of the right lower leg, diabetes mellitus type II, and syncope were denied. The VA found no evidence to support service connection for these conditions.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss as the evidence does not support a link between current hearing loss and service, including exposure to noise.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain an adequate VA examination and opinion regarding the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss claim.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied as there is no evidence of a current disability.,Service connection granted for migraines, with the presumption that they began during service and have continued since then.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD renders him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and the Board has granted a TDIU rating.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is granted as service connected due to in-service noise exposure and continuous symptoms since service.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss. The Veteran served in Vietnam and claims his current hearing loss is related to service, specifically acoustic trauma during combat.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and left ear hearing loss, but denied service connection for right ear hearing loss. The appeals for hepatitis C and diabetes mellitus were dismissed due to the Veteran's withdrawal of appeal.

The Board has remanded the claims of increased rating for hearing loss and earlier effective date for TDIU due to incomplete development. The Veteran's claims will be further processed.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there is no evidence of a nexus between these conditions and his military service.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was not incurred or aggravated by service, and there is no evidence of a nexus between the current disability and military service.,Neurogenic bladder was not caused or aggravated by service. The Veteran's neurogenic bladder is believed to be related to his history of cancer treatments.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for left ear hearing loss due to a lack of evidence showing that his current condition is related to in-service noise exposure. The issue of increased ratings for left toe fractures, first and second phalanges, currently rated as noncompensable prior to November 16, 2010, and as 10 percent disabling from that date, has been remanded due to the need for a new VA examination.

The Veteran's hearing loss is currently rated as noncompensable, and a higher rating is not warranted.,The Veteran's left ankle scar does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating based on its size or pain.

The Board is remanding the claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, left knee instability, right knee disorder, herpes simplex, and various hip conditions. The Veteran has submitted new evidence that needs to be considered in a Supplemental Statement of the Case (SSOC).

The Board has restored a 20 percent disability rating for bilateral hearing loss, finding that the reduction from 70 percent to 20 percent was not proper due to inadequate audiometric evaluations used in the decision.