Hearing loss decisions — 2020

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability is denied as he does not have a current hearing loss disability for VA compensation purposes.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to incomplete development of his VA medical records and the need for additional examinations.

The Board has remanded the cases of bilateral hearing loss and special monthly compensation based on aid and attendance due to incomplete information in the claims file, particularly regarding when the Veteran first noticed his hearing decline and his post-service noise exposure.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to new evidence received since the last final denial. The Veteran's lay statements indicate noise exposure during service, but a VA examiner found no significant threshold shift in his hearing ability.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for benefits under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for a right knee infection related to VA surgery in February 2008, finding that there was no evidence of carelessness or negligence on the part of VA. The claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are remanded due to potential issues with continuity of symptomatology.

The Board has remanded the case due to uncertainty regarding whether ischemic stroke is related to service-connected cardiovascular disease, and a new examination is needed to clarify this issue.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus as there is no current disability found by VA standards.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and granted service connection for tinnitus. The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for PTSD is remanded.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding no evidence of a current disability or causation during active duty. Service connection was granted for residuals of cold injury of the hands and feet due to exposure to extreme cold in Korea.,Obstructive sleep apnea is remanded as there are insufficient reasons provided by the VA examiner.

The Veteran's claim for higher ratings for bilateral hearing loss prior to September 19, 2019, and after that date was denied. The Board found the evidence did not support a compensable rating before September 19, 2019, and no rating in excess of 10 percent thereafter.

The Veteran's hiatal hernia with GERD is currently rated as noncompensably disabling prior to September 20, 2019, and 10 percent thereafter. The Board found no basis for a higher rating.,Service connection for right ear hearing loss was denied due to lack of current evidence.

The Board denied service connection for hearing loss in the left ear, finding that there was insufficient evidence to link the condition to military noise exposure and concluding that the Veteran's current hearing disability did not stem from his active duty service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to procedural defects in the November 2019 VA audiological examination report. The examiner is asked to provide an opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran’s bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, addressing relevant information provided by the Veteran.

The Board has remanded the case due to failure to substantially comply with prior remand directives, specifically regarding scheduling an audiological examination for the Veteran while incarcerated.

The Board has granted service connection for left ear hearing loss disability, finding that the Veteran's current condition is related to his active military service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied as there is no evidence of a current disability.,The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for residuals of a right wrist scaphoid fracture is denied as the maximum schedular rating has been reached and there is no evidence of ankylosis.,The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for synovitis of the left ankle is denied as the disability does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Board has dismissed all service connection claims due to the Veteran's death.

The claims for right ear hearing loss, bilateral eye disability, BLE arthritis, gout, diabetes mellitus, left ear hearing loss, erectile dysfunction, surgical scar, tinnitus, hypertension, and lumbar spine disability have been dismissed due to the lack of an adequate substantive appeal.,The claim for liver disability has also been dismissed as there was no adequate substantive appeal.

The Board denied service connection for the cause of death due to lack of evidence showing that a service-connected disability caused or contributed to the Veteran's death. The Board found that the Veteran's coronary artery disease did not contribute substantially to his death, and that PTSD alone could not have caused sudden cardiac arrest.

The Veteran's initial rating for PTSD from November 23, 2016 is denied as the evidence does not show total social and occupational impairment. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is rated at noncompensable (0%) since November 23, 2016.