Hearing loss decisions — 2019

The Board dismissed all the claims due to the death of the appellant.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service-connected conditions, including hearing loss, tinnitus, and PTSD. The AOJ is required to obtain relevant medical records and provide examinations for the Veteran's disabilities.

The Veteran's Hodgkin’s lymphoma is related to exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune, and the claim for service connection has been granted.,Service connection for bilateral shin splints was denied as there is no current diagnosis of a disability.,Service connection for hearing loss was denied due to lack of audiometric test results meeting VA's definition of a disability.,Service connection for tinnitus was denied as the Veteran did not provide evidence showing it manifested during service or within one year following separation from service.,Service connection for erectile dysfunction, thyroid disability, and right hip disability were all denied based on insufficient evidence to establish a nexus between these conditions and active service.

The Veteran's PTSD with TBI residuals is rated at 70 percent, effective August 26, 2011.,The Veteran was granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) as of August 26, 2011.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability is not related to service and denied his claim.

The Veteran's bilateral shoulder condition has been granted service connection. The right ear hearing loss claim was also granted.,Service connection for left hip, left knee injury, and right knee injury claims were denied.

The Veteran's hearing loss disability was evaluated and found to not warrant a compensable rating, as his audiometric results did not meet the criteria for any higher rating.

The Veteran's service connection for hearing loss is denied as there is no in-service event or injury that can be causally connected to the current diagnosis.,The Veteran's right knee disability is rated at 10 percent, and a higher rating is not granted due to lack of additional limitation of motion following repetitive use testing.,New evidence has been received sufficient to reopen the claim for service connection for low back disability.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for right ear hearing loss prior to July 1, 2010 was dismissed as the Veteran withdrew his appeal.,The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 50% and this decision does not address whether it warrants an increased rating.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is rated at 10 percent, the lowest possible rating under VA regulations. The Board found that his current rating was based on a March 2017 VA fee-based audiological examination and denied an increased rating.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss has not been manifested by hearing acuity worse than Level II bilaterally, and therefore, the criteria for a compensable schedular evaluation have not been met.

The Board denied the Veteran's request for an effective date prior to February 1, 2016 for adding his spouse and two minor children as dependents to his award of Department of Veterans Affairs disability compensation. The decision was based on the fact that proof of dependent status was not received within one year of notification of the May 2004 rating action.

The Veteran's increased rating claim for anxiety disorder was granted. Service connection for a lumbar spine disability and cervical spine disability were granted. The Veteran's claims for service connection of chronic headache disorder, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus are remanded.

The Veteran's appeal for an initial compensable rating for status-post right tympanoplasty with ossicular reconstruction has been dismissed. The Board also remanded the issues of entitlement to initial compensable ratings for bilateral hearing loss and cholesteatoma.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal regarding the issues of bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, so the case is dismissed.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (optic neuropathy), sleep condition, hypertension, and cirrhosis of the liver have all been denied. The Veteran's PTSD claim was also denied prior to January 27, 2016, and from that date onwards.

The Veteran's initial compensable ratings for bilateral bunions and left ear hearing loss have been denied. The VA has ordered remand for further examinations to assess the severity of his hemorrhoids, right knee strain, cervical spine disability, and thoracolumbar spine disability.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for various conditions, including lumbar spine disorder, cervical spine disorder, right ankle disorder, right foot disorder, multiple body trauma, peripheral neuropathy, hypertension, hearing loss, tinnitus, sleep disorder, and anxiety disorder. The evidence submitted did not provide new or material information to support these claims.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss is rated as noncompensable, and the Board finds that it does not warrant a compensable rating based on the objective audiometry results provided.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is related to in-service acoustic trauma, and thus service connection for this condition is granted.