Hearing loss decisions — 2020

The Board has decided to remand the case due to incomplete records and a need for further examination. The Veteran's hearing loss is being reviewed again as part of this process.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there is no evidence of a current disability linked to the Veteran's active service.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development, including obtaining VA treatment records and arranging for a VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected lumbar spine degenerative arthritis from January 2011 to July 2018. The case will also be referred to the Director, Compensation Service, for extraschedular consideration of TDIU.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and remanded the issue of service connection for bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened and are now pending. The issues of entitlement to service connection for degenerative disc disease, spinal spondylitis, obstructive sleep apnea, bilateral knee disorder, bilateral ankle disorder, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder (PTSD) remain on appeal.

The Veteran's application to reopen a claim of service connection for a lung condition is granted, and the appeal is allowed to this extent only. An initial rating of 70 percent since February 24, 2010, for PTSD is granted.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, left knee disability, bilateral hearing loss, sleep apnea, and hypertension. The decision found that there was no evidence of a chronic condition in service or within the applicable presumptive period, and that the current disabilities were not related to service.

The Veteran's hearing loss has been progressively worsening, and a new VA examination is needed to determine the current severity of his condition.

The Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus are being remanded for further examination as the current VA opinion is insufficient to decide these claims.

The Veteran's SMC claim is remanded as the VA has not conducted an examination to determine his daily personal assistance needs attributable solely to his service-connected disabilities. The case will be returned for further development.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for right ear hearing loss, finding that there was no evidence of aggravation beyond normal progression in military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability did not develop in, or as a result of, his active service and therefore denied the claim for service connection.

The Veteran's appeal for an initial compensable disability rating for service-connected TBI was voluntarily dismissed. The appeals for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss and PTSD were denied.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability was rated at 30% prior to September 29, 2018 and at 50% from that date. The Board denied an increased rating for the period before September 29, 2018.

The Board has decided to remand the cases for further development regarding service connection and rating for hearing loss in both ears. Specifically, they need to obtain records related to a surgery performed on an acoustic neuroma in 1985 and determine if there was any pre-surgery hearing loss that might be attributable to service.

The Veteran's hearing loss disabilities in both ears and low back disability are granted. The right knee disability is remanded for further development.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for hearing loss and left eye disorders due to incomplete notification of scheduled VA examinations. The case will be returned for further development.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and adjudication due to issues related to right ear hearing loss and its secondary effects on the Veteran's psychiatric condition.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from securing and maintaining substantially gainful employment, except for a brief period in 2016. Therefore, the claim for TDIU is denied.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection on multiple conditions have been withdrawn and are dismissed. The claim of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder has been reopened, but not granted.