Hearing loss decisions — 2019

The Board has decided to remand several issues related to the Veteran's service connection claims for various disabilities, including right and left knee disabilities, heart disability, gallbladder disability, left Achilles tendon disability with bone spurs, and bilateral hearing loss. The decision also requires verification of the Veteran’s dates of active service, ACDUTRA, and INACDUTRA.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and service connection have been dismissed. The Board has remanded the issues of initial rating for asthma with moderate obstructive lung disease, initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss, and service connection for an unspecified dental condition.

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

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and hypertension were not shown to be related to service, while his erectile dysfunction was not diagnosed until after separation from service.,Service connection for the Veteran’s conditions is denied as there is no evidence of a nexus between the current disabilities and active duty.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and DJD of the left knee were denied. The Board found that there was no evidence to support these conditions being related to active service.,For his right knee disability, the Veteran's claim for an increased rating was also denied. The highest possible rating under applicable codes (DC 5259) has already been granted.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not shown to be related to service, as they did not manifest during service or within one year of discharge.,The Veteran's right and left knee conditions were not shown to have been incurred in service.

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss and tinnitus are granted service connection, but the issue of left ear hearing loss is remanded for further development.

The claim for a rating greater than 40 percent for residuals of traumatic brain injury has been dismissed. The claims for service connection and compensation for bilateral hearing loss, muscle damage of the abdomen (stomach pain, stomach problems), cervical spine DDD, osteochondritis dissecans of the left foot, and dry-eye syndrome have been addressed.

The Veteran's left ear hearing loss is granted as service connected. The Veteran's right ear hearing loss remains at a non-compensable rating.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation, thus meeting the criteria for TDIU.

The Board has granted service connection for left ear hearing loss. Right ear hearing loss and right wrist CTS are remanded due to conflicting evidence regarding the severity of the Veteran's hearing impairment, and his bilateral CTS is also remanded as there is insufficient etiological opinion.

The Veteran's service connection claim for bilateral hearing loss was granted. For the period from September 13, 2012 to April 28, 2015, his initial rating for low back disability was denied as it did not meet the criteria for an increased rating. For the period after April 28, 2015, his claim for a higher rating for low back disability was also denied.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus as there was no evidence of these conditions during or within one year after service, and the medical opinions did not support a link to service.

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings and service connection was denied. The decision also noted that the Veteran had new and material evidence to reopen her claims of service connection for right hand tendonitis and left hand tendonitis.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's hearing loss and its relationship to service. The examiner is required to provide an opinion on whether the reduced acoustic reflexes are consistent with in-service noise exposure, and clarify if any current hearing data was reviewed by the private physician who provided a positive nexus opinion.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the evidence supports their onset during service.

The Board has remanded the case due to a need for additional medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's current hearing loss is related to his military service, including noise exposure.

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings for tinnitus and bilateral sensorineural hearing loss is being remanded due to the need for a more current VA audiology examination.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is at least as likely as not related to noise exposure during his military service, and the Board grants service connection for this condition.

The appeal to reopen the claim of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability based on new and material evidence is granted. The issue of whether the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability is related to his military service, including any in-service noise exposure, will be remanded.