Hearing loss decisions — 2020

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient nexus opinions regarding the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability, which is presumed to be related to service exposure. The examiner must provide an addendum opinion addressing whether the current hearing loss disability is at least as likely as not related to service acoustic trauma.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss is currently rated as zero percent disabling. The Board finds that the evidence does not support a higher rating, and thus denies his claim for an initial compensable disability rating.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for a right knee disorder, peripheral vestibular disorder, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus due to insufficient examination reports and failure to address certain issues.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for the cause of his death, finding that there was no evidence to support a link between any of his service-connected conditions and his death. The Board also found that none of his service-connected disabilities contributed to his death.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss resulted in an average pure air tone conduction threshold of no worse than 51.25 decibels in the right ear and 56.25 decibels in the left ear, with speech recognition ability of 76 percent in the right ear and 72 percent in the left ear. A rating of 10 percent for bilateral hearing loss from June 18, 2013, to November 21, 2019, is granted.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus and ischemic heart disease due to his withdrawal of these issues. The skin disability claim is denied as there is no evidence of a current chronic skin condition, while the tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss disabilities are remanded for additional development.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional examinations and opinions to address his right ear hearing loss, hernia residuals, surgical scar associated with hernia, and TDIU claim.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable evaluation for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss disability is denied as the evidence does not support entitlement to a higher rating.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus due to inadequate examination opinions. The case is returned to VA for further development.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss is denied as the evidence does not support a higher disability rating.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including migraine headaches and insomnia, were granted. The claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied. The other claims were either not addressed or denied.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence was not received to reopen the claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, but did not dismiss or deny any specific issues. The decision is considered mixed as it addressed both reopening and disposition aspects.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for vertigo and bilateral hearing loss due to incomplete development, including missing audiograms and lack of an otolaryngologist examination.

The Veteran's claim for higher ratings for bilateral hearing loss prior to March 6, 2020, and in excess of 10 percent from that date was denied. The Board found the evidence did not support a compensable rating prior to March 6, 2020, or in excess of 10 percent from that date.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss did not originate in service, within a year of service, and is not otherwise etiologically related to his active service. Therefore, the claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied.

The Veteran's left ear hearing loss and tinnitus are granted service connection. Right ear hearing loss is denied as there is no evidence of a current disability.,A pulmonary disability is remanded for further development, including obtaining treatment records and scheduling an examination by a VA pulmonologist to determine the nature and etiology of any diagnosed pulmonary disability.,The Veteran's psychiatric disability is remanded for an additional VA examination to determine its severity and whether it precludes him from securing or following substantially gainful employment.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current hearing loss disability for VA purposes, and therefore cannot establish service connection for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and remanded the issues of initial disability rating for DJD of the lumbar spine and TDIU.

The Veteran's service connection claim for a skin disability was denied, and his initial non-compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss prior to April 25, 2018 was also denied. However, he received an initial non-compensable rating from April 25, 2018 to February 10, 2020, which was later increased to a 10 percent disability rating effective April 25, 2018. The Veteran's claim for a higher disability rating for bilateral hearing loss after February 10, 2020 remains pending and is remanded.