Hearing loss decisions — 2020

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that the evidence is at least in equipoise with respect to whether it is related to active duty service.

A 20 percent rating is granted for bilateral hearing loss from January 19, 2011 to June 16, 2011. The Veteran's claim for a higher rating remains pending.

The Veteran's tinnitus and throat pain have been granted service connection, but the issue of an initial compensable disability rating for bilateral hearing loss has been remanded.

The Board has decided that another remand is necessary before the matter of the Veteran's entitlement to a TDIU can be adjudicated. The RO must obtain an opinion from a qualified clinician regarding the functional impact of the Veteran’s service-connected disabilities, in combination, on his employability.

The Veteran's claim for TDIU prior to June 11, 2011 was denied as he did not meet the schedular requirements for a combined rating of 70% or more due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for hypertension, bilateral hearing loss, lumbosacral degenerative disc disease, cystic skin lesions, and initial compensable rating for folliculitis barbae due to unresolved medical evidence.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him so helpless as to need regular aid and attendance or permanently confined to his immediate premises, thus denying the claim for special monthly compensation (SMC) based on aid and attendance or an account of being housebound.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, and service connection for burn scars related to mustard gas exposure has been denied.,Service connection for the burn scars was not established.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder including PTSD is dismissed as a full grant of the benefit sought on appeal has been granted.,The issue of entitlement to an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for dermatitis is dismissed due to a full grant of the benefit sought on appeal.

The Board denied service connection for right ear hearing loss as the Veteran does not have a right ear hearing loss disability for VA purposes.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there is no evidence of a chronic disability during or within one year after service, and that any current hearing loss is not related to in-service noise exposure. The decision also notes that the passage of time between separation from service and the onset of symptoms does not support a finding of service connection.

The Board has granted service connection for recurrent tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's tinnitus began during his military service. Service connection was denied for right ear hearing loss and left ear hearing loss.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's conditions were incurred or aggravated by his military service.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was initially rated at 0 percent and has not been found to warrant a higher rating.,For sinusitis, the Veteran is currently assigned a 50 percent rating from June 15, 2019. The maximum schedular rating for sinusitis under Code 6513 has already been reached.,The case of entitlement to TDIU due to service-connected disabilities is being remanded.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient rationale provided by the VA examiner regarding the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss. The claim will be reconsidered with a new examination and opinion.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate examination and needs a new opinion on the nature and etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, kidney cancer (renal cell cancer), and lymph node cancer. The case is being remanded to obtain additional medical records and provide an opinion regarding the causes of these conditions.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's hearing loss was not shown to have occurred in service and did not manifest for many years thereafter. The weight of the evidence is against a finding that it is the result of the Veteran’s military noise exposure.

The Board has remanded the cases due to a failure to issue a supplemental statement of the case (SSOC) after additional evidence was added to the record. The claims for compensable ratings for hearing loss, nasal fracture residuals, and hypertension are being returned to the agency of original jurisdiction (AOJ) for further development.

The Board has remanded the cases for further examination and opinion regarding the Veteran's claimed conditions, as no VA examiner has provided an opinion on their nature and etiology.