Hearing loss decisions — 2020

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hearing loss is related to noise exposure during his military service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has decided to readjudicate the claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding new and relevant evidence that supports a current disability. The claim for service connection for a broken jaw remains denied.

Service connection is granted for tinnitus. The issue of service connection for bilateral hearing loss is remanded.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a discrepancy in audiometric test results from two VA examinations conducted within a short period, and thus an additional retrospective medical opinion is needed.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, bilateral tinnitus, sinusitis, a lung condition and bladder cancer.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to inadequate rationale provided in a March 2015 VA examination. The Veteran's STRs do not show any complaints of, or treatment for, tinnitus. However, there was a slight acuity shift in both ears during service. A new VA examination is needed to determine the etiology of the current hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions do not render him in need of regular aid and attendance due to his nonservice-connected disabilities, resulting in a denial of special monthly compensation based on aid and attendance.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for vertigo was denied as there is no evidence of a current disability and the examiner indicated that the symptoms were not vestibular in nature.,The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss was also denied, with the Board finding that his hearing loss did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is related to his military service and grants service connection for this condition.

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

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus because no new or relevant evidence was submitted after the September 2014 rating decision.

The Board has granted service connection for right ear hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's current hearing loss is at least as likely as not related to his hazardous noise exposure during service.

The Veteran's hypertension is granted a 10 percent rating. The issues of service connection for psychiatric disability, bilateral hearing loss, and bilateral glaucoma with diabetic retinopathy are remanded.

The Veteran's claims for PTSD, BHL, and tinnitus were granted effective July 19, 2018.,The Veteran's claim for a higher initial disability rating for PTSD was denied.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate VA examinations and a duty-to-assist error.

The Board has dismissed the claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus because the Veteran's attempts to appeal under the Veterans Appeals Improvement and Modernization Act of 2017 were invalid.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. The issues of entitlement to service connection for COPD, sleep disorder, prostate cancer, erectile dysfunction secondary to prostate cancer, and breast cancer secondary to prostate cancer have been remanded due to outstanding medical records.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding no evidence of in-service injury or disease that caused these conditions. The Veteran's claims were based on presumed exposure to noise during active service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and eye condition have been reopened. The restoration of the 60 percent disability rating for ischemic heart disease effective January 1, 2016 is granted, but the reduction in rating was remanded due to procedural issues.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a lack of compliance with previous instructions and an inadequate VA medical opinion. The Veteran's hearing loss claim will be reviewed again by a new VA audiologist.