Hearing loss decisions — 2020

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was rated at 30 percent from January 13, 2016 to July 2, 2019. Prior to that date and after July 2, 2019, the rating is denied.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there is no competent evidence showing a hearing loss disability during service or within the year following discharge from service, and no medical opinion linking his current hearing loss to his active duty service.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to new examination opinions being required.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss has been granted. The claim for increased rating for postoperative left tibial plateau fracture with a meniscal tear is denied, but the issue of service connection for this condition will be remanded. The claim for increased rating for left knee surgical scar is also denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a bilateral foot disability and bilateral hearing loss, finding insufficient evidence to establish a nexus between these conditions and his military service.

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

The Board has dismissed the appeals for osteoarthritis of the low back, bilateral hearing loss, renal condition, right hip disability, cervical spondylosis, left knee disability, and left hand disability as the Veteran withdrew his appeal.

Service connection for bilateral hearing loss is granted.,Service connection for left knee chondromalacia patella, residuals of patellar dislocation, is denied. An initial 10 percent rating for left knee residuals of torn ACL is granted.

The Board has granted service connection for a left ear hearing loss disability and remanded the issues of increased rating for right ear hearing loss and entitlement to TDIU.

The Board has granted service connection for right ear hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the evidence is at least in equipoise that these conditions are related to military noise exposure. Service connection for bronchitis was denied as there is no competent medical evidence linking the condition to service.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for bilateral hearing loss prior to May 7, 2020 and since that date was denied. The Veteran also had his initial ratings for degenerative joint disease with malunion of the right fibula with old posttraumatic status post change of ankle with ossification of tibiofibula syndesmosis (right ankle) and avulsion fracture of the right ulnar styloid with bone chip were granted.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss, glaucoma, and lung disorder due to incomplete opinions and need for additional development.

The Veteran's claims for hearing loss, high blood pressure, PTSD, rheumatoid arthritis, neuropathy of the toes, and mini strokes are being remanded due to inadequate notification of his scheduled DRO hearing.

The Veteran's claim for hypertension has been reopened, but service connection is not granted.,Service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus is denied as there is no evidence of in-service noise exposure or symptoms.,Benign prostatic hypertrophy is also denied due to lack of service connection.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus disabilities are rated at 60 percent combined, but the Board finds that these conditions do not preclude him from obtaining and retaining substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for left ear hearing loss has been granted. The right ear hearing loss claim is still pending and requires further development.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to lack of examination and due process concerns.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and remanded the cases of bilateral hearing loss and low back condition.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that it is not shown to be causally or etiologically related to any disease, injury, or incident during service and did not manifest to a compensable degree within one year of discharge from active duty.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss has not been manifested by hearing acuity worse than Level III in either ear. The criteria for rating hearing loss do not adequately contemplate the symptoms of the Veteran’s bilateral hearing loss; the exceptional disability picture exhibits interference with employment comparable to that which would warrant a 20 percent evaluation considering the resultant functional impairment and the evidence as a whole. A compensable schedular evaluation is denied, but an extraschedular evaluation of 20 percent for service-connected bilateral hearing loss has been granted.