Hearing loss decisions — 2020

The Board has granted service connection for left ear hearing loss, right ear hearing loss, and tinnitus on the basis of aggravation. The Veteran's preexisting hearing loss worsened during service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for right ear hearing loss and tinnitus due to inadequate examination findings. The examiner must provide an opinion on whether the Veteran's current hearing loss is due to military noise exposure.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the receipt of additional evidence. The Board will review this new evidence and consider its impact on his service connection claims.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his bilateral hearing loss is denied as the VA examinations did not support entitlement to a compensable rating.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability originated during active service and is therefore granted as service connected.

The Veteran's back disability, not shown to be causally or etiologically related to any disease, injury, or incident in service, is denied.,A current bilateral hearing loss disability for VA purposes has not been shown.,The Veteran’s tinnitus, not shown to be causally or etiologically related to any disease, injury, or incident in service, is denied.,The competent and credible evidence does not reflect a diagnosis of cataracts.,The Veteran's hypertension, not shown to be causally or etiologically related to any disease, injury, or incident in service, is denied.,The competent and credible evidence does not reflect a diagnosis of sickle cell anemia.,The competent and credible evidence does not reflect a diagnosis of a sinus disability.,The Veteran’s thyroid disability, not shown to be causally or etiologically related to any disease, injury, or incident in service, is denied.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there was no evidence of in-service noise exposure or a nexus to current conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is not related to his military service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability, tinnitus, allergies, an acquired psychiatric disorder (claimed as major depressive disorder), and hypertension have been remanded. The reduction from a 10 percent to a zero percent rating for radiculopathy, left lower extremity effective June 23, 2015 was improper.

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 in-service acoustic trauma.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss, lumbar disc degeneration, and right lower extremity radiculopathy due to inadequate medical opinions in the May 2014 VA examination. The Veteran's statements of in-service acoustic trauma need to be considered by a new examiner.

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss is currently rated as 0 percent disabling, and the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted.,Service connection for obstructive sleep apnea has been denied due to lack of evidence linking the condition to service. The claim will be remanded for further development.,Service connection for an acquired psychiatric condition (major depressive disorder) remains pending as the Veteran's claims have been remanded.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a right shoulder condition, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus.,There is no evidence to support that any of these conditions began during or were aggravated by military service.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss, finding that it was incurred during his active duty.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there was no evidence of a current disability related to military service and that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for service connection under 38 C.F.R. § 3.385.

The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss is remanded.,The Veteran's claim of service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities (polyneuropathy) is remanded due to a lack of updated private treatment records from his lifetime providers.,The Veteran's claim of service connection for radiculopathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities is remanded.,The Veteran's claim of service connection for erectile dysfunction, to include as secondary to service-connected disabilities, is remanded.,The Veteran's claim of service connection for a gastrointestinal disability, to include GERD, to include as secondary to service-connected disabilities, is remanded.,The Veteran's claim of service connection for depression and anxiety, to include as secondary to service-connected disabilities, is remanded.

The Board dismissed the appeal of the claim for bilateral hearing loss as it is no longer relevant due to the appellant's death.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is rated at 10 percent from April 7, 2015 forward. The Board has denied a higher rating as the evidence does not support such.,For the entire period on appeal from August 20, 2014 forward, the Veteran's peripheral neuropathy of the left and right femoral nerves are rated at 20 percent each.

The Veteran's initial claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss prior to April 11, 2019 was denied.,A rating in excess of 30 percent from April 11, 2019 for bilateral hearing loss was also denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus, as well as his request for an increased rating for contact dermatitis of the right hand, were all denied by the Board. The decision is based on the lack of new and material evidence to reopen the claims for hearing loss and tinnitus, and the fact that the Veteran's current skin condition does not meet the criteria for a higher disability rating.