Hearing loss decisions — 2020

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss does not meet the criteria for a disability for VA compensation purposes, and therefore his claim for service connection is denied.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's military noise exposure caused his current hearing loss.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, hypertension, right upper extremity neuropathy, and anxiety as there is no current disability in any of these conditions that meets VA criteria.

The Veteran's appeal is about a higher initial rating for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss. The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for a new VA examination.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability is service-connected, as it was aggravated by his in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable evaluation for bilateral hearing loss disability has been denied. The claims for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for lumbar spine, cervical joint, right index finger, and right little finger disabilities have also been remanded due to the need for further development.

The Veteran's asthma is granted a rating of 30 percent, effective from the date of the decision. The issue of service connection for bilateral hearing loss is remanded.

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss is currently rated as non-compensable due to the severity of his condition, which does not meet the criteria for an increased rating.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability, finding that there was no evidence of a disease or injury in service and no causal relationship to service. The Veteran's current hearing loss did not have its onset during service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection on appeal must be remanded due to incomplete development and verification of his National Guard service periods.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there is no evidence of chronic hearing loss in service or within a presumptive period. The Board also found that the Veteran did not have continuous symptoms since service and that his current hearing loss is more likely due to presbycusis (age-related hearing loss) rather than noise exposure during service.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable initial disability rating for hearing loss was denied. The Board also remanded the issue of service connection for hypertension due to insufficient information regarding the dates of active duty and inactive duty training.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to a lack of evidence linking these conditions to service.,No rating assigned as no disability is currently in effect.

The Board has decided to remand the TDIU claim due to incomplete information provided by the Veteran and outstanding records that need to be obtained. The claims will be returned for further development.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus has been reopened due to the submission of new evidence. The Board finds that there is a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claims, but further development is needed before a final decision can be made.

The appeals on both the bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus issues have been dismissed due to the Veteran's death.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a TDIU on an extraschedular basis prior to December 8, 2015 due to the limitations associated with his service-connected disabilities not rendering him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not prevent him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment prior to May 26, 2017. The evidence does not show that his disabilities were severe enough to preclude him from all forms of employment.

The Board denied service connection for hearing loss and hypertension, but granted service connection for kidney cancer. The Veteran's IBS and Crohn’s disease were partially granted with a staged rating prior to September 10, 2019, and the issue was remanded for further development.

The reduction of the Veteran’s bilateral hearing loss disability from 60 percent to 10 percent was not proper and is void ab initio. The Veteran is entitled to a rating in excess of 60 percent for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss.