Hearing loss decisions — 2020

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are at least as likely as not related to his military service. The evidence is in equipoise regarding whether the Veteran's tinnitus is secondary to his service-connected bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss, as secondary to his service-connected Parry Romberg Syndrome due to a lack of audiometric evaluation results and the need for a VA examination.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable evaluation for service-connected bilateral hearing loss was denied as his hearing impairment did not meet the criteria for any higher rating.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss prior to January 27, 2016 was denied. The claim for an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss in excess of 20 percent from January 27, 2016 was also denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right ear hearing loss disability is not related to his service and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss, an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD and an unspecified depressive disorder), and GERD have been granted. The claim for sleep apnea is remanded. An increased rating of 60 percent from March 13, 2020 has been granted for GERD.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral tinnitus but has remanded the issue of service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to insufficient evidence.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for Guillain-Barre Syndrome and right ear hearing loss due to incomplete development. The Veteran's personnel records from his reserve service need to be associated with the claims file, and a VA examination is required to address the nature and etiology of these conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and has remanded the remaining issues due to inadequate medical opinions.

The Veteran's initial claim for a higher rating for his bilateral hearing loss was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating than what is currently assigned, and thus denied the claim.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for a sleep disorder, erectile dysfunction, bilateral hearing loss, an anal perianal fistula (claimed as gastrointestinal issues), and IBS have been dismissed.,The Veteran's appeals seeking service connection for sinusitis, asthma, shortness of breath, and headaches are being remanded.

The Board has ordered a new VA examination to determine if the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is related to his military service, as he submitted medical literature in support of this claim.

The Board has denied a compensable rating for the Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss and remanded the issue of service connection for dizziness, claimed as vertigo. The decision is pending further development.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is remanded due to an inadequate medical opinion. A new VA audiological opinion is needed.

The Veteran's tinnitus is not related to his period of service, and therefore, service connection for tinnitus is denied.,The Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of left upper extremity neuropathy. Service connection for left upper extremity neuropathy is not warranted.,For the period prior to May 29, 2018, the Veteran's left elbow disability manifested in arthritis with normal range of motion and no pain on examination. A noncompensable rating is appropriate from that time. From May 29, 2018, a 10 percent rating is appropriate for limitation of flexion.,For the period prior to May 29, 2018, the Veteran's left elbow disability manifested in arthritis with normal range of motion and no pain on examination. A noncompensable rating is appropriate from that time. From May 29, 2018, a noncompensable rating is appropriate for limitation of extension.,Service connection for arthritis (claimed as gout) is remanded.,Service connection for sleep apnea is remanded.,Service connection for hypertension is remanded.,Service connection for residuals of TBI is remanded.,Service connection for headache is remanded.,Service connection for a vision disability is remanded.,Service connection for a left knee disability is remanded.,Service connection for a right knee disability is remanded.,Service connection for bilateral hearing loss is remanded.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss and service connection for a skin disorder have been dismissed due to the death of the appellant.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is found to have started during service and has continued since then, meeting the criteria for service connection.

The Veteran's claim for a back disability, including degenerative disc disease, is granted. The Board found that the Veteran had chronic low back pain since service and provided sufficient evidence to support this finding.,The Veteran's claim for bilateral hearing loss is granted. The VA examiner noted no pre-military noise exposure and no post-military noise exposure, but did not provide a clear opinion on whether his current hearing loss is related to service.

The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of compliance with previous directives, specifically regarding scheduling a VA examination for hearing loss.

The Board denied a claim for a disability rating in excess of 10 percent for service-connected bilateral hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's hearing impairment did not warrant such a rating at any point during the appeal period.