Hearing loss decisions — 2020

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss is granted service connection. The Veteran's left ear hearing loss claim for an increased rating is denied.

The Board has granted service connection for coronary artery disease, but remanded the issue of service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to lack of adequate medical opinion.

The Veteran's hearing loss during the period on appeal qualifies as level I in both ears, resulting in a rating of 0 percent. The Board denied an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss, finding that it is caused by or related to service and resolving all reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to a lack of VA examination, despite the Veteran's previously unavailable service treatment records being located. The Veteran was not provided with clear information about the purpose of the examinations.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to incomplete records and requests for additional information.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and coronary artery disease (CAD), both of which are presumed to be due to exposure to herbicides during military service.,The Veteran's service records show he served in Thailand, where he worked on C-123 aircrafts that were used to spray Agent Orange. This exposure is considered presumptive for the development of CAD.

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss is granted, but her excessive menstrual bleeding and knee disabilities are denied. The cases for left hand tremors and right hand tremors are remanded.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is rated as noncompensable, with an average decibel loss of 46 in both ears.,Service connection for thoracolumbar arthritis and sleep apnea are denied due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right ear hearing loss disability is related to his military service, resolving all reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable initial disability rating for bilateral hearing loss is remanded due to the need for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of his service-connected hearing loss.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is not related to his military service, and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that it did not manifest in service and was not related to his active duty service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied as new and material evidence had not been submitted to reopen the hepatitis C claim, and his PTSD, acquired psychiatric disorder (other than PTSD), low back condition, left knee condition, bilateral hearing loss, respiratory disorder, and cirrhosis of the liver claims were all denied due to lack of a causal relationship between service and these conditions.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied, and his claim for an increased rating for degenerative joint disease of the right great toe with hallux valgus, hallux limitus, and hallux rigidus is remanded due to lack of recent examination.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an extraschedular rating for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss, finding that the schedular criteria adequately describe the severity and symptoms of his condition.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates and increased ratings have been denied.,The Veteran was granted service connection for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss on April 16, 2018. The right shoulder strain rating has been increased to 20 percent since June 26, 2018. Service connection for left lower extremity radiculopathy was established on the same date.,The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have no effective dates earlier than April 16, 2018.,Right shoulder strain has an effective date of June 26, 2018. The left lower extremity radiculopathy was granted service connection on the same date.,The Veteran's left hamstring injury residuals and lumbar strain have no effective dates earlier than April 16, 2018.,Left knee strain has an effective date of June 26, 2018. The Veteran's right shoulder strain rating was increased to 20 percent on the same date.,The Veteran's lumbar strain and left knee strain have no effective dates earlier than April 16, 2018.

The Board has restored service connection for tinnitus, but the severance of service connection was improper. Service connection for middle back injury and bilateral hearing loss is remanded.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to failure to report for a scheduled VA examination without good cause shown.

The Board denied service connection for right ear hearing loss disability due to lack of evidence meeting VA criteria for a current disability. The claim for left ear hearing loss disability is remanded as the February 2020 VA medical opinion was inadequate.