Hearing loss decisions — 2020

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to service, including his combat experience in Vietnam. As such, service connection is granted for these conditions.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus as the Veteran does not have current disabilities that meet VA criteria, and there is no evidence of continuity of symptoms since separation from active duty.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability, tinnitus, and a heart disability due to procedural errors in notifying the Veteran of what constitutes new and relevant evidence. The claim for service connection is being remanded because it may be related to exposure to herbicide agents or diabetes mellitus.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for specially adapted housing or a special home adaptation grant due to their impact on his upper and lower extremities, as they do not result in loss of use of both upper or lower extremities.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and remanded the claims of service connection for lumbar spine disorder and right foot pes planus. The Veteran's claim for bilateral hearing loss is denied as he does not have a current diagnosis of bilateral hearing loss. The Board found that further development is needed for the claims of service connection for lumbar spine disorder and right foot pes planus due to insufficient medical opinions.

The Board denied the Veteran's requests for earlier effective dates for service connection of bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that December 13, 2018 is the earliest allowed date based on when the claims were received.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that his current hearing loss is at least as likely as not related to his exposure to acoustic trauma in service.

The appeal of the rating for tinnitus is dismissed.,The claim for restoration of the 10 percent evaluation for left knee instability, effective June 24, 2015, is granted.,New and material evidence has been received to reopen the previously denied claim of entitlement to service connection for right hand and wrist arthritis.,New and material evidence has been received to reopen the previously denied claim of entitlement to service connection for migraine headaches.,New and material evidence has been received to reopen the previously denied claim of entitlement to service connection for insomnia and sleeplessness.,New and material evidence has been received to reopen the previously denied claim of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss is remanded due to the inconsistency and unreliability of previous VA examination results. An additional VA examination is needed to determine the current severity of his service-connected hearing loss.

The Board has decided to remand the cases of hearing loss and tinnitus for further development as the Veteran's current address could not be located, leading to a missed VA examination.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection and increased rating of her right ear hearing loss, gynecological disorders, bilateral knee disabilities, and left ear hearing loss due to incomplete medical records and inadequate examination reports.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is remanded due to the need for a new examination and additional information regarding his occupational history.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is granted as a result of noise exposure during his military service.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to discrepancies in the Veteran's right ear hearing loss test results. The Veteran may be entitled to a higher disability rating for his service-connected right ear hearing loss if the handwritten audiological evaluation sheet from his December 2019 VA examination is found and accurately transcribed.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's hearing loss disability, specifically addressing his reports of hearing loss prior to 2009. The case will be returned for further development and consideration.

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss and tinnitus claims are denied as there is no evidence of a current disability, and the Board finds that these conditions are not related to service.,The Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (claimed as sleep condition) and headaches have been granted as secondary to his service-connected unspecified depressive disorder.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations of bilateral hearing loss, PTSD, and TDIU prior to April 8, 2020 are being remanded due to the need for additional development.

The Board has denied service connection for left ear hearing loss and remanded the case to obtain additional audiometry test results, including speech discrimination testing. The right ear hearing loss issue remains pending.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss but remanded the issue of service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II due to potential exposure to herbicides and diesel fuel.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from engaging in substantially gainful employment, as his last employer was able to accommodate his hearing loss and he has no other evidence showing that his disabilities render him unable to work.