Hearing loss decisions — 2019

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is related to his military service, specifically noise exposure.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral peripheral neuropathy of the upper extremities, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus was granted. Service connection for diabetes mellitus was also granted with a rating of 20 percent prior to April 2018.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his bilateral hearing loss prior to July 25, 2019 and from July 25, 2019 was denied as the evidence did not show that he met the criteria for a higher disability rating under VA regulations.

The Board has found the preponderance of evidence against a finding that the Veteran has a current heart disability, bilateral hearing loss, or diabetic edema. The claims for these conditions are being remanded to obtain additional medical opinions and development.

The Veteran's left ear hearing loss is not service-connected as there is no evidence of a current disability.,There is insufficient evidence to establish a cervical spine disability for which service connection could be granted.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, but the hearing loss claim is remanded due to inadequate examination and incomplete reasoning.

The Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss was not shown as chronic in service and did not manifest to a compensable degree within the applicable presumptive period. Continuity of symptomatology is not established, and the disability is not otherwise etiologically related to an in-service injury or disease.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for various conditions due to insufficient evidence or procedural deficiencies. The Veteran's claims are related to his existing service-connected disabilities.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that the evidence is at least in equipoise that his current hearing loss is related to noise exposure during military service. The decision also reopened the previously denied claim.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's tinnitus is more likely than not related to his military service. Service connection for hearing loss was denied as there was no evidence of a current disability within one year of separation from service and the preponderance of the evidence did not support a link between the Veteran's service and his current condition.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service connected.,His bilateral hearing loss claim is denied due to lack of evidence showing a current disability for VA purposes.,The Veteran's right finger disability claim is denied because he failed to report for the scheduled examination.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to incomplete audiometric test results and unclear speech discrimination testing methods. The Veteran's hearing loss condition is still under review.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss, right knee disability, degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, and TDIU due to incomplete development and need for additional examinations.

The Veteran's claims for a compensable rating for service-connected bilateral hearing loss and service connection for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining his complete service treatment records and scheduling him for a psychiatric examination.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to address the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to in-service noise exposure. The case will be returned for further development and an addendum opinion.

The Board has granted service connection for left ear hearing loss and assigned a 20 percent disability rating.,Service connection was also granted for angiosarcoma, but the appeal is remanded as additional evidence may be needed to substantiate this claim.

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss and tinnitus are granted as service-connected, while his DJD left knee is denied. The effective date for PTSD service connection is set at December 5, 2011.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and consideration, including obtaining VA treatment records and conducting additional examinations to address the Veteran's claims.

The Veteran's claim for bilateral hearing loss disability is denied as there is no evidence of a current disability for VA purposes.,The Veteran's left shoulder sprain is rated at 20 percent and the appeal is remanded to determine if a higher rating is warranted based on additional evidence or considerations.,The Veteran's claims for acquired psychiatric disability, respiratory disability, and IBS are remanded as no VA examinations have been conducted yet. The examiner should assess whether these conditions are related to service.,The Veteran's claim for a respiratory disability due to service in Southwest Asia is remanded as no VA examination has been conducted yet. The examiner should assess whether this condition is related to service.,The Veteran's claim for IBS due to service in Southwest Asia is remanded as no VA examination has been conducted yet. The examiner should assess whether this condition is related to service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss and for TDIU due to additional development being required.