Hearing loss decisions — 2020

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's left ear sensorineural hearing loss, finding that it began in service and is related to his military noise exposure.

The Board has denied a compensable rating for the Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss and has remanded the issue of entitlement to TDIU based on service-connected disabilities. The appeal is currently pending as both issues are inextricably intertwined.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current disability of left ear hearing loss for VA purposes, and therefore service connection is denied.

The Veteran's hearing impairment has not been worse than Level I in the right ear and Level II in the left ear, so his disability rating for bilateral hearing loss remains at 0 percent.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to lack of current disability. The issue of service connection for muscle spasm/pain is remanded as there are insufficient opinions regarding its etiology.

The Veteran's claims for an initial compensable rating for hearing loss of the left ear and service connection for right shoulder pain have been dismissed.,The claim for a higher rating for chronic sinusitis has been denied. The Veteran's nosebleeds are related to his service-connected chronic sinusitis.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding no evidence of a nexus between the conditions and active service. The Veteran's current hearing loss was not shown to be related to his military service.,Service connection for chronic lung disease due to asbestos exposure is also denied as there is no evidence that the condition began during or is otherwise related to service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a sleep disorder is denied as there is no current diagnosis of the condition.,For his coronary artery disease, the Veteran is not entitled to a rating in excess of 10 percent prior to March 28, 2017 and 30 percent from that date onwards. The evidence does not support a higher rating based on METs levels or other criteria.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's current hearing loss is due to his in-service noise exposure. The appeal was decided on the merits of the claim.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to insufficient rationale in the previous medical opinion regarding his bilateral hearing loss. The Board requests a new opinion from an audiologist or otologist that addresses whether his hearing loss disability is related to service exposure to noise.

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss is currently rated as noncompensable prior to January 24, 2011 and a rating in excess of 10 percent from January 24, 2011 to February 16, 2015. The Veteran's right eye disability remains remanded for further examination.,The Veteran is currently rated as noncompensable for bilateral hearing loss from February 17, 2015 and a VA examination is needed to determine the current severity of his service-connected right eye anterior stromal scar.

The Board has decided that service connection for bilateral hearing loss is granted. Service connection for hypertension, to include as due to herbicide exposure, is remanded.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss has been rated as noncompensable, and the Board finds that a compensable rating is not warranted based on his audiometric test results.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for left ankle, right ankle, and left elbow disorders, as well as bilateral hearing loss and a head disorder. The appeals are not about service connection but rather need further examination or evidence.

The Board has determined that further development is needed to obtain missing medical records and conduct necessary examinations for the Veteran's claims.

The Veteran's service connection claims for right ear hearing loss, PTSD, chronic tendon inflammation (left upper and lower extremities), and sleep apnea have been denied. The Board has found that the Veteran does not meet the criteria for these conditions based on current medical evidence. However, due to the need for additional examinations and opinions regarding his service-connected disabilities, as well as his claim for PTSD, the case is being remanded.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate examination and failure to consider in-service noise exposure related to military occupational specialty as a radio mechanic, explosion of a hand grenade close to his head, and an explosion in a blast pit.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to a lack of examination, despite the Veteran being scheduled. The case will be returned for further evaluation.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development to determine if the Veteran had exposure to herbicidal agents, including Agent Orange, in service. If such exposure is found, a VA medical opinion will be obtained to address whether the bladder cancer and kidney cancer are related to that exposure.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for dental trauma, lumbar spine disability, left eye disability, and increased rating for bilateral hearing loss prior to December 9, 2019 and an increased rating in excess of 10 percent thereafter. The decision found no evidence of a current disability related to these conditions.