Hearing loss decisions — 2020

The Veteran's back pain is not related to service, but tinnitus was found to be related.,Bilateral hearing loss and knee disability were denied as there is no current disability for VA purposes. The eye condition was diagnosed after service.

The Board has denied an increased compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss and has remanded the issues of service connection for a lung disability (COPD) due to in-service asbestos exposure, as well as the issue of TDIU.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bronchitis, obstructive sleep apnea, hernia inguinal as secondary to external hemorrhoids with pruritus ani, and chronic sinusitis are being remanded.,Special monthly compensation based on loss of use is granted effective October 7, 2015.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is rated at 10 percent, which is the maximum rating available under VA regulations. The Board denied a higher rating as the audiometric testing did not support a higher disability level.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that he does not have a current disability as defined by VA regulations.

The Board denied a compensable rating for the Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss, finding that his current hearing acuity does not meet the criteria for any higher evaluation under VA rating criteria.

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 active military service. Service connection was denied for a bilateral eye disorder due to lack of evidence showing its onset during or immediately after service.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for various conditions were denied as new and material evidence was not presented to support the reopening of these claims.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, right ear hearing loss disability, tinnitus, and heart disability were all granted service connection. The heart disability was determined to be ischemic heart disease.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings of his service-connected right knee disability, tinnitus, and bilateral hearing loss have been dismissed. The appeal regarding entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities prior to May 7, 2015 has also been dismissed.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, left flatfoot, and bipolar disorder are denied as they are not related to his first period of service. His discharge from the second period of service is under dishonorable conditions, which constitutes a bar to VA benefits.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the evidence is at least in equipoise regarding whether these conditions are due to in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's claims for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss and a higher rating for tinnitus are remanded due to the need for additional examinations and consideration of extraschedular evaluations.

The Board has decided to remand the cases of PTSD and bilateral hearing loss for further examination and opinion.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for an earlier effective date and increased rating for bilateral hearing loss. The case is remanded to obtain updated medical records and schedule a VA examination.

The Veteran's appeal is dismissed because they passed away, and the Board has no jurisdiction to adjudicate their claims.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was not incurred in service and is not presumed to have been incurred in service. The Board denied the claim for service connection.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal regarding service connection for hearing loss before the decision was made.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for left ear disability and right ear hearing loss due to insufficient medical evidence in the record. The Veteran is not entitled to service connection at this time as there is no clear, obvious, undebatable evidence that his pre-existing right ear hearing loss was aggravated by service or that his current tinnitus is related to service.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for additional evidence regarding the Veteran's hearing loss, including private medical records from Winneshiek Medical Center and Gundersen Clinic. The Veteran is asked to provide releases for these records.