Hearing loss decisions — 2020

The petition to reopen a claim for entitlement to service connection for an ear disability is granted. The Veteran's prior claims of bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were implicitly denied in the August 1960 rating decision, but new evidence has raised a reasonable possibility of substantiating these conditions.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining a medical opinion regarding the validity of the June 2013 audiometry results and considering whether service connection may be established under 38 C.F.R. § 3.303(b) (chronicity and continuity).

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is granted as service-connected.,The Veteran’s right hip and left hip disabilities are remanded for further evaluation.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not result in a degree of functional impairment that precludes him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss was rated as noncompensable (0%) since August 1, 2017. The Board found that the Veteran's current severity of his hearing loss did not warrant a higher rating.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss. The Veteran is service-connected for PTSD, stemming from noise exposure during service.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a need for a new VA examination to assess the severity of the Veteran's left ear hearing loss.

The Board has remanded the cases due to incomplete service records, and requests for these records have been sent to the service department.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has been rated at 0 percent, the lowest possible rating. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the current level of hearing impairment.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for bilateral hearing loss as it requires further development and clarification of the VA medical opinion.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for service connection for bilateral sensorineural hearing loss and tinnitus as they have been granted, with no further questions to be decided.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the etiology of the Veteran's left ear hearing loss and a need for updated VA treatment records.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a heart condition, left ankle residuals, tonsillitis, seborrheic dermatitis, and right ear hearing loss were denied as the evidence did not show these conditions were related to his active duty service.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for a bilateral hearing loss disability was reopened and granted. The claim of service connection for a respiratory disability (asbestos exposure) is remanded.

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss, as well as service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability including PTSD, is remanded due to the need for additional examinations and development of his claims.

The Veteran's service connection claim for bilateral sensorineural hearing loss is granted on a presumptive basis due to exposure to loud noise during service. The claim for tinnitus is denied as there is no current diagnosis of the condition.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service.

The Veteran's hearing loss in the right ear is granted as service connected. The Board found that it was at least as likely as not that the hearing loss occurred during service.

The Board denied entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities not meeting the schedular requirements for TDIU, and his employment in a protected work environment.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss, finding that his current disability began during active service and is related to in-service noise exposure.