Hearing loss decisions — 2020

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for amputation of the left index finger, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus due to inadequate opinions in previous examinations.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to incomplete records and the need for a new VA examination.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss is remanded due to the need for additional VA audiological examination and review of existing records.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss prior to August 15, 2018 and a rating in excess of 10 percent for bilateral hearing loss from August 15, 2018. The evidence did not support higher ratings based on the VA examinations conducted.

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

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus prevented him from securing or maintaining employment in the hearing-aid industry, leading to a TDIU for March 2011.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, but the issue of service connection for bilateral hearing loss is remanded.

The Veteran's appeal on the issues of bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus has been dismissed due to his death.

The Veteran meets the schedular criteria for TDIU consideration and his service-connected disabilities prevent him from maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Board has remanded the case to determine if an effective date earlier than August 17, 2011 for the grant of TDIU is warranted due to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities preventing him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation prior to that date.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to insufficient medical opinion regarding audiometric conversions from ISO-ANSI units to ASA units, as well as additional evidence related to noise exposure.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability is not etiologically related to his military service, as there was no evidence of a chronic hearing loss disability during or within one year after service. The preponderance of the evidence does not support a finding that the Veteran's present hearing loss disability is due to noise exposure in service.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is granted as service connected.,The claim for skin cancer associated with herbicide exposure and scars from treatment are remanded due to inadequate opinions in the previous VA examinations.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD and depression) due to missing service treatment records. The VA needs to make additional requests to obtain these records.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for hearing loss, right ankle and knee disabilities, bilateral plantar fasciitis, and lumbar strain due to the need for additional examinations to assess their current severity.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss, degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, tendonitis of the left ankle, and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) to allow for further development.,The Veteran's representative status is unclear due to multiple changes in representation over time.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, a lumbar spine condition, and a right knee condition have been granted.,Other issues such as the right arm nerve problem with tingling from fingers to shoulder and the right leg condition are still pending.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete audiometric evaluations and a need for further examination to determine if the Veteran's current right ear hearing loss is related to her service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied. The Board has remanded the claims of a rating in excess of 10 percent for right knee tendinopathy and service connection for lumbosacral strain as secondary to right knee tendinopathy.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied as the evidence did not support an assignment of a disability rating in excess of what the Regional Office has already awarded — a noncompensable rating for the entirety of the appeal period.