Hearing loss decisions — 2020

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and DJD of the lumbar spine, but denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and hypertension. The decision also remanded several other issues.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right ear hearing loss and bilateral knee disability, finding that the injuries leading to these disabilities were due to the Veteran's willful misconduct during service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for increased evaluations and service connection are remanded due to inadequate examinations, missing VA treatment records, and new evidence not being considered.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the cause of death and whether service-connected disabilities contributed to it. The Veteran died from a brain tumor, but without known pathology of the brain mass, no definite determination can be made on whether the brain mass was related to military service or metastasized from his service-connected prostate cancer.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss, finding that his hearing acuity did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating based on three VA audiological evaluations conducted in March 2013, August 2014, and September 2019.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding no evidence of a nexus between current hearing loss or tinnitus and military service.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss due to new evidence submitted. The case is now remanded for further evaluation.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities (PTSD, diabetes, peripheral neuropathies, tinnitus, and hearing loss) render him unemployable, leading to a grant of a total disability rating due to individual unemployability.

The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate examination and a need for an addendum opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss.

The Board denied service connection for cervical spine disability, lumbar spine disability, bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, and initial compensable rating for service-connected bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for left ear hearing loss was reopened and denied. The Veteran's respiratory disability was granted a 60% rating effective April 18, 2019. The right ear hearing loss issue is being remanded.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, headaches, right knee disability, left knee disability, and tinnitus due to new evidence received since the January 2012 rating decision.,However, the claims are still pending as they have been remanded for additional development.

The Veteran's initial noncompensable disability ratings for bilateral hearing loss and residuals of a shrapnel wound to the left leg are denied as his conditions do not meet the criteria for compensable ratings under VA rating criteria.

The Veteran's service-connected asthma and hearing loss disabilities render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, thus granting TDIU.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss was reopened, but the claim itself is denied. The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for shingles is denied. The Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to September 18, 2009 for service connection for bilateral hammertoes is also denied.

The Veteran's claim for an increased disability evaluation for bilateral hearing loss was denied as his hearing impairment did not warrant a rating higher than the currently assigned 90 percent.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevented him from securing and following substantially gainful employment due to his orthopedic conditions, hearing loss, and tinnitus.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss was denied because the evidence did not show that his current hearing loss disability had its onset during or was caused by his military service.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus was also denied as there is no medical evidence showing a link between his current tinnitus and his military service.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and service connection have been dismissed due to his death. The Board has no jurisdiction to proceed with these claims as the Veteran passed away before a decision could be made.

The Board has restored a 100% rating for the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and SMC for deafness of both ears from October 1, 2018 to November 26, 2019.