Hearing loss decisions — 2020

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for left ear hearing loss as it did not find a link between his current condition and his active service.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent, which does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.,Beginning September 19, 2015, the Veteran was granted TDIU based on his service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied service connection for the residuals of lacerations to the left little finger, right index and ring fingers, and a jammed right thumb. The Veteran did not have any chronic disabilities related to these injuries during or after service.,Service connection was also denied for a low back disability, bilateral hearing loss disability, tinnitus, and sinus/allergic disorder. There is no evidence of such conditions until many years after the Veteran's separation from service.

The Board dismissed the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, left foot disability, and back disability. The claim for tinnitus was denied as there is no evidence of in-service noise exposure.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete verification of her active duty periods. The low back disorder and bilateral hearing loss issues are also being remanded as there is insufficient evidence on etiology.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, but has remanded the issue of service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to an incomplete audiometric test at separation from service.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is rated as Level I in all audiometric evaluations, resulting in a noncompensable disability rating.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and evaluations. The issues include PTSD, hearing loss, tinnitus, cystic kidney disease, keratoconjunctivitis, sleep apnea, and an acquired psychiatric disorder.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD, hearing loss, and sleep apnea prevent him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment. The Board has granted a TDIU rating.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to incomplete service treatment records and a need for an addendum opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's hearing loss.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to obtain or retain substantially gainful employment, and the Board has granted a TDIU based on this finding.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate consideration of all in-service audiograms under both ASA and ISO-ANSI standards, which may affect the determination of service connection for left ear hearing loss.

The Veteran's cause of death is denied as there is no evidence that his service-connected disabilities caused or contributed to his death. For the period from July 7, 2010 to September 15, 2010, the Veteran was granted a TDIU based on his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss was denied because there is no current disability of hearing loss as defined by VA regulations.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to inadequate examination and exposure verification. The Veteran is requested to provide updated VA treatment records, determine if his duties placed him near the base perimeter in Thailand, verify herbicide agent exposure, and obtain appropriate medical opinions regarding hypertension and erectile dysfunction.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, a bilateral eye disability (claimed as suspect glaucoma or bilateral vision loss), and finger fungus have all been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for these conditions to be considered disabilities under VA regulations.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and remanded his claims for initial compensable evaluations of left knee strain, right knee strain, and right thumb strain. The effective dates for the grants of service connection are not addressed in this decision.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection of gastrointestinal condition, other than neurogenic incontinence and hypertension have been withdrawn. The appeal for service connection of neurogenic stool incontinence has been granted with a non-compensable rating. Service connection for bilateral varicoceles is granted. Service connection for bilateral hearing loss was not established.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability, attributing it to noise exposure during military service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation prior to July 18, 2018.