Hearing loss decisions — 2020

The petition to reopen the previously denied claims for tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, allergic rhinitis, asthma, and headaches is granted. The claim for GERD remains pending as it was remanded.

Service connection is granted for tinnitus and denied for kidney disorder. Bilateral hearing loss remains under review.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that the Veteran did not have a current disability and that his hearing loss was not caused by or related to service. Service connection for tinnitus was granted.

The Board has remanded the claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss due to incomplete records and further development is needed.

The Board has granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that his PTSD did not contribute to his death but was a contributing factor. The Veteran died due to prolonged cardiac arrest resulting from multiple underlying health conditions.

The Board has decided that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of sleep apnea and must reconsider his claim for service connection for headache disorder. The reduction in rating for bilateral hearing loss is void ab initio due to lack of proper procedural steps, and an effective date prior to July 31, 2017 for the grant of service connection for bilateral hearing loss has been granted.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the evidence is approximately balanced as to whether these conditions are related to in-service acoustic trauma.

The Board denied the Veteran's applications to reopen claims for service connection for loss of strength in the right hand, right ear hearing loss, and a cervical spine disability. The claim for loss of strength in the right hand was denied because no new and material evidence was submitted within one year of the denial. The claim for right ear hearing loss was reopened due to new evidence attributing the hearing loss to service exposure. However, the Veteran does not meet the criteria for a hearing loss disability under VA regulations. The cervical spine disability claim was denied as there is insufficient evidence linking the condition to service.

The Board has decided to remand two issues: service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and service connection for left ear hearing loss, due to a duty-to-assist error.

The Board has remanded the claim of service connection for hearing loss due to an incomplete VA examination. The examiner is asked to convert the Veteran's hearing test results from ASA to ISO units and consider both configurations.

The Veteran's hearing loss is remanded for a VA examination to determine if it is related to his reported hazardous noise exposure during service.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was rated as noncompensable prior to January 10, 2020 and rated as 20 percent disabling thereafter. The Board denied the claim for higher ratings.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's current hearing loss is related to in-service acoustic trauma from flight operations without proper protection.

The Veteran's hearing loss has been rated at 10 percent since the effective date of service connection. The Board found that his hearing loss does not warrant a higher rating based on the evidence provided.

The Veteran's appeal includes multiple issues, including service connection for various conditions and a TDIU claim. The Board has remanded these cases due to the need for additional development.

The Board has decided to remand the claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, fibrous dysplasia of the left nasal cavity, and headaches due to additional development being required.

The Board has withdrawn the claim for an increased rating for PTSD and granted service connection for tinnitus. The claims for service connection of a back disability and hearing loss are being remanded due to outstanding medical records.

The Board has remanded the case due to less than substantial compliance with the previous remand directive. The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is being sent back for further review by an audiologist.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there is no evidence to support a link between these conditions and his military service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD has been granted. The appeal for increased ratings in several other conditions, including bilateral hearing loss and varicose veins, is being remanded.