Hearing loss decisions — 2020

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral hearing loss disability is remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding direct and presumptive service connection.

The Veteran's tinnitus claim is granted, and his claims for sleep apnea, hepatitis C, high blood pressure, esophageal varices, cirrhosis, and gallstones are denied due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for an ear disability other than service-connected tinnitus and left hearing loss, finding that he does not have a current diagnosis of such.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to conflicting opinions and insufficient evidence. The Veteran's psychiatric, sleep, cardiovascular, CTS, and hearing loss conditions are being reviewed again.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD, tinnitus, and bilateral hearing loss disability do not prevent him from securing or following all forms of substantially gainful employment consistent with his education and work experience.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral sensorineural hearing loss, finding that his current condition is related to noise exposure during military service.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating in excess of 50 percent for bilateral hearing loss from February 20, 2014 is remanded due to the need for updated VA audiometry test results and clarification on speech discrimination testing methods.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is currently rated as noncompensable, and his left carpal navicular fracture is currently rated at 10 percent.,The Veteran's claim for a higher evaluation for his left carpal navicular fracture was denied.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including seeking evidence about the Veteran's part-time work as an auctioneer and determining whether it qualifies as marginal employment. The VA examinations are also needed to assess the impact of his service-connected disabilities on his employability.

The Veteran's lumbar strain, left knee degenerative joint disease (left knee disability), PTSD, migraine headaches, cervical spine disability, left leg shin splints, right leg shin splints, bilateral hearing loss, and TBI have been granted service connection.,An initial rating of 40 percent for traumatic brain injury (TBI) has also been granted.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for bilateral foot arthritis has been dismissed. The Board also remanded the cases of a disability rating in excess of 10 percent for bilateral hearing loss and a compensable disability rating for bilateral tinea pedis.

The Board denied service connection for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss, finding that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for direct service connection due to lack of a nexus between his current conditions and in-service noise exposure or acoustic trauma.,No medical evidence supports the Veteran's contentions that his bilateral hearing loss is related to active service. The Board found no relationship between his bilateral hearing loss and any injury experienced during active service.

The Board found compelling circumstances warranted the Veteran's prolonged unauthorized absence, thus finding that his character of discharge from service for the period from October 1965 to March 1973 does not constitute a statutory or regulatory bar to VA compensation benefits.

The Veteran's hepatitis C and bilateral hearing loss were denied. The Board found that the current ratings for both conditions did not accurately reflect their severity.

The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of clarity in the April 2017 audiologist's speech discrimination testing, and for obtaining any outstanding VA and private treatment records. A new VA examination is also required.

The Board has remanded the case due to a failure to obtain all VA treatment records before making a decision on the claim for a rating in excess of 90 percent for bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's PTSD and coronary artery disease were denied increased disability evaluations, but he was granted a TDIU.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is rated at zero percent, as the VA examiner found that his hearing acuity did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.,The Veteran's service-connected scars of the right lower extremity are currently rated at zero percent. The VA examiner determined they do not warrant a higher rating due to lack of underlying soft tissue damage and no functional impact.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete records from the Puerto Rico State Insurance Fund. The Veteran is required to provide authorization and VA will request their medical records.

The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for service-connected bilateral hearing loss is being remanded due to the need for additional evidence and a new VA examination. The propriety of the rating reduction is also inextricably intertwined with these claims.