Hearing loss decisions — 2020

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are granted service connection, effective July 14, 2009. The issue of sleep apnea is remanded for further development.

The Board has found that additional development is necessary for the Veteran's claims of right ear hearing loss and TDIU due to service-connected disabilities, as there are questions regarding the etiology of his current hearing condition and whether it is related to in-service noise exposure. The case is being remanded for further examination and opinion.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for various disabilities, including bilateral knee disability, left ankle disability, right foot disability, bilateral hearing loss disability, and tinnitus. The cases are being returned to the AOJ for further development.

The Board has granted service connection for right ear hearing loss but remanded the issue of sleep apnea due to lack of a current diagnosis and missing treatment records.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right ear hearing loss and remanded the claim for left ear hearing loss due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been remanded due to the need for additional evidence and medical opinions regarding his claimed disabilities.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there is no evidence to support a link between these conditions and his military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unemployable, as his symptoms are manageable and he is capable of performing the physical and mental acts required by employment.

The Board has ordered the VA to contact ENT Associates of San Diego to verify if they used the Maryland CNC test in determining the Veteran's speech discrimination scores from their August 2015 audiological evaluation. The claim will be remanded for this purpose.

The Veteran's tinnitus has been granted service connection. The cervical spine, lumbar spine, respiratory (bronchitis), sinus, and bilateral hearing loss disabilities are remanded for further evaluation.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete records and need for further medical opinions regarding his claimed conditions. The claims are related to in-service noise exposure, burning diesel fuel, gas chamber training, cold weather exposure, and handling heavy equipment.

Service connection for prostate cancer, erectile dysfunction (ED) as secondary to prostate cancer, PTSD with sleep disorder, night sweats, flashbacks, and depression (PTSD), obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) as secondary to PTSD, and hypertension as secondary to PTSD is granted.,Service connection for a bilateral hearing loss disability, skin disorder, severe headaches, ear and throat disorder, prostate cancer, and PTSD is reopened.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for service-connected bilateral hearing loss is denied as his hearing impairment has not been shown to be worse than that measured during the VA audiometric examination.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss disability was denied as the evidence did not show that his hearing loss reached a disability rating above 0 percent disabling during the appeal period.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a TDIU as his service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from obtaining or retaining substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for left ear hearing loss was denied due to lack of evidence showing a disability during the appeal period.,Service connection for right ear hearing loss was not granted as there is no evidence of a current disability in that ear.

The appeal as to the claim of entitlement to service connection for right ear hearing loss is denied.,The appeal as to the claim of entitlement to service connection for hypertension and cardiac disability is denied.,The appeal as to the claim of entitlement to service connection for left ear hearing loss is remanded.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for COPD, residuals of a back injury, and a compensable disability rating for bilateral hearing loss. The decision concluded that there was no evidence to support these claims.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's right-ear hearing loss, finding that the evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether it is related to service.

The Board has decided to remand the claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to inadequate examination findings. The Veteran's current hearing loss and tinnitus may be related to in-service noise exposure, but more evidence is needed.