Hearing loss decisions — 2020

The Board denied service connection for bilateral arm deformity, neck disability, and bilateral hearing loss due to lack of evidence showing a current disability during the pendency of the claim.,For left little finger, disjointed with scar, the Veteran's claim is remanded as there was no VA examination provided.

The Veteran's claim of entitlement to a compensable disability rating prior to October 8, 2019, and to a disability rating greater than 30 percent thereafter for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss has been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support the Veteran's assertions for either period of time at issue in this appeal.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that the evidence is at least in equipoise regarding whether it resulted from military service.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's conditions are related to his noise exposure in service.

The Board has granted service connection for lumbar spine arthritis, but denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and COPD.,Service connection was granted for the Veteran's low back disability due to credible statements of continuous back symptoms in the years since service. The VA examiner found no evidence linking the current condition to an in-service injury or disease.

The Board has remanded the cases of bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and thyroid cancer for further development to obtain missing personnel records from the Veteran's Army National Guard service.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that it was incurred in service due to noise exposure.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and the claim for TDIU is denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that his current hearing loss disability is not related to service and did not worsen during service.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are related to his military noise exposure.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for left shoulder disability, right shoulder tendonitis, hemorrhoids, bilateral hearing loss disability, and chronic bronchitis have been granted. However, the Veteran did not appeal the effective dates assigned.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss was reopened and granted, with the Board finding that it is at least as likely as not that his current hearing loss disability had its onset during active service.

The Board has remanded the case due to errors in finding a previous rating decision final and because of new evidence received. The claim for service connection for left ear hearing loss is now open, but a new medical opinion is needed regarding whether noise exposure during service may have caused delayed onset hearing loss.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss, prostate cancer, kidney disease, and anemia (secondary to kidney disease) due to inadequate opinions in previous VA examinations. The Veteran's exposure to asbestos is presumed.

The Veteran's DDD of the cervical spine was granted a 20% rating effective February 28, 2018. The Veteran's degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine was granted a 20% rating effective November 2, 2017. However, his hearing loss and TDIU claims were not resolved.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete records and a need for a new VA examination.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a need for additional medical examination and development of records.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings were denied. The right ear hearing loss was found to be noncompensable, the great toenail surgery with proximal bone loss on the right foot resulted in a 20 percent rating from January 14, 2016 onwards, and the ingrown toenail of the left foot received a 20 percent rating.

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 20 percent from November 21, 2018, for hearing loss disability is dismissed. A compensable rating for the Veteran’s bilateral sensorineural hearing loss prior to November 21, 2018, is denied.

The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss was denied. The Board found that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating from November 22, 2011 to January 26, 2014 and for a rating in excess of 10 percent from January 27, 2014 to the present.