Hearing loss decisions — 2020

The Board has remanded the case due to concerns about the adequacy of the VA examiner's opinion regarding the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss. The Veteran contends his hearing loss is related to service, particularly noise exposure in Vietnam.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss and left knee disability due to insufficient medical opinions and lack of proper examination.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a higher disability rating for his bilateral hearing loss with tinnitus, finding that he does not have separate compensable ratings for dizziness and that his combined rating of 20 percent (10 percent for hearing loss and 10 percent for tinnitus) is appropriate.

The Board dismissed the appeal because the Veteran died during the pendency of the hearing on left ear hearing loss.

The Veteran's PTSD was denied an initial rating in excess of 70 percent from December 20, 2017. The Board also found that the criteria for a TDIU were not met prior to July 17, 2009.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss but has remanded the issue of whether tinnitus aggravated the Veteran's imbalance.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss as there was no current diagnosis of a disability meeting VA criteria.

The character of the Veteran’s discharge from service has been upgraded to 'under honorable conditions (general)' by the Army Board for Correction of Military Records, removing any prior bar to VA benefits. The issues regarding PTSD, right and left ear hearing loss, tinnitus, and a back disorder are referred to the AOJ for appropriate action.

The Board has decided to remand the claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities (TDIU) as it pertains to the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss. The TDIU claim is being returned to the agency of original jurisdiction for additional development.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for service connection of right ear hearing loss, and the Board has dismissed this issue.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The Veteran's claims for higher ratings for PTSD, sleep apnea as secondary to PTSD, prostate cancer and DMII are remanded due to the need for additional development.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to new VA treatment records not previously considered. The Veteran's claims will be reconsidered with these additional records.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for left ankle and right shoulder disabilities have been dismissed. The claims of whether new and material evidence has been received to reopen a claim of service connection for chest pains, service connection for acquired psychiatric disability (including PTSD), bilateral hearing loss, color blindness, flat feet, and neck disability are all remanded.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, hypertension, chronic headaches, and a seizure disorder (epilepsy) have all been denied. The Board found that there is no evidence of current disabilities or in-service disease or injury related to these conditions.,Service connection cannot be granted as the Veteran does not meet the criteria for service connection due to lack of current disability.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and effective dates are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining clarification of his private hearing test results and scheduling a VA examination.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for depression and a TDIU determination, finding that his hearing loss did not preclude him from securing or maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Board denied service connection for left ear hearing loss as it found no evidence that the condition was caused by in-service noise exposure, and there was no showing of a disease within one year post-service.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is rated as noncompensable throughout the appeal period. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on his testimony and lay contentions, despite his subjective complaints of worsening hearing.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including bilateral hearing loss and diabetes mellitus type II, have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been granted service connection. The inner ear condition issue is remanded due to insufficient medical evidence.