Hearing loss decisions — 2019

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) due to unresolved issues in the evidence.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding no nexus between these conditions and his military service.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, prostate cancer, and multiple myeloma. The conditions are all related to the Veteran's in-service exposure to radiation.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is service-connected, as it was present in service and continuously thereafter.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, respiratory condition (allergies and/or asthma), right ankle disability, and left ankle disability due to inadequate examination opinions. The claims are being returned for further development.

The Veteran's tinnitus has been granted service connection, as the evidence is at least in equipoise that it originated during service.,Service connection for bilateral hearing loss has not been established, as auditory thresholds did not meet criteria for a disability under VA regulations.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral pes planus, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus. The Veteran's bilateral pes planus was aggravated during active duty service. His bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his in-service acoustic trauma.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate examination and need for further analysis of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's initial rating claims for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, left knee PFS, and right knee PFS have been denied. The claim for service connection for erectile dysfunction (ED) is remanded.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's currently diagnosed bilateral hearing loss is related to acoustic trauma sustained during combat in Vietnam, and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for heart disease and bilateral hearing loss due to inadequate medical opinions. The TDIU claim is also being remanded as it is intertwined with the other claims.

The Veteran's petition to reopen his claim of entitlement to service connection for hearing loss is dismissed. His petition to reopen his claim of entitlement to service connection for residuals of a traumatic brain injury (TBI) is granted, and the claim is granted. The Veteran’s petition to reopen his claim of entitlement to service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder is denied. The Veteran's petition to reopen his claim of entitlement to service connection for tinnitus is granted.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been remanded due to the need for a VA examination. The Board will review the expanded record, including new evidence, to determine if service connection may be granted.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 100 percent, effective July 5, 2012.,The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is rated at 0 percent, effective July 5, 2012. The Veteran has been granted service connection for this condition but no effective date earlier than July 5, 2012.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a lack of discussion on an August 8, 1975 service treatment record stating that the appellant had hearing loss in his right ear. The Veteran needs to provide information about any healthcare providers who have treated him for this condition since separation from service.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss, sleep apnea as secondary to service-connected disability, and erectile dysfunction as secondary to service-connected disability due to insufficient development.

The Board has dismissed the claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus and denied the claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss. The case is remanded for further action on the claims for an initial rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations and service connection were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support higher ratings or service connection for most of his conditions, except for a finding that tinnitus warranted at least a 10 percent evaluation.

The Veteran's service connection claim for a bilateral hearing loss disability is granted, with the decision being effective from his date of claim in October 2012.