Hearing loss decisions — 2020

The Veteran's anxiety disorder is granted a 50 percent disability evaluation, effective April 22, 2016. The increased evaluations for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss are remanded.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings are being remanded due to inadequate medical opinions. The issues include a back disability, left knee disability, bilateral hearing loss, and chronic vasomotor rhinitis.

The Board has remanded the claims of bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to inadequate opinions regarding their etiology. The Veteran's in-service noise exposure is conceded, but the VA examiner did not adequately address his service connection theory or consider his post-service noise exposure.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to incomplete medical records and the need for a VA examination regarding the Veteran's hearing loss, tinnitus, and left knee claims. The appellant is seeking service connection for these conditions.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service connection claims due to outstanding VA treatment records and updated SSA records. The Veteran's substance abuse and CAD are also being reviewed for secondary service connection.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has been rated as noncompensable, with pure tone threshold averages and speech recognition scores corresponding to Level I hearing loss in both ears. The Board found that the evidence did not meet criteria for a compensable rating.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for heart disability, sleep apnea secondary to PTSD, and bilateral hearing loss have been remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including gunshot wounds, hearing loss, tinnitus, joint diseases, and disabilities of the elbows, shoulders, wrists, ankles, knees, lumbar spine, cervical spine, esophageal cancer, skin disorders, heart issues, respiratory problems, and memory loss. The decision was based on a lack of evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability is denied as there is no evidence of a current disability, and the preponderance of the evidence shows that any hearing loss did not have its onset in service.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus is denied as there is no evidence of a current disability within one year following service discharge, and the preponderance of the evidence shows that any tinnitus did not have its onset during service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU due to incomplete medical examinations and insufficient evidence regarding his service-connected conditions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for higher ratings for anxiety disorder and bilateral hearing loss due to a lack of recent VA examinations. The Veteran is required to provide additional evidence, if needed, and undergo VA examinations.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for bilateral hearing loss due to insufficient rationale in the previous VA opinion and a need for a new examination.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for bilateral hearing loss disability was denied. A rating of 40 percent is granted beginning November 17, 2019.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including coronary artery disease, peripheral vascular disease, diabetes mellitus, and bilateral hearing loss, precluded him from obtaining or retaining substantially gainful employment prior to July 28, 2011. The Board granted TDIU based on the severity of his disabilities.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an extraschedular TDIU prior to July 28, 2014 due to his service-connected disabilities not meeting the schedular criteria. From July 28, 2014, the Board granted a TDIU based on the evidence showing that the Veteran’s service-connected disabilities prevented him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and increased rating for PTSD prior to September 11, 2017 were denied. The Board found no evidence of a current disability for the purpose of service connection for bilateral hearing loss. For PTSD, the Board noted that the symptoms did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

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

The Board has remanded the case due to non-compliance with previous instructions and a need for an addendum opinion regarding the impact of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss on his daily activities, including his ability to work.

The Veteran's current bilateral sensorineural hearing loss is service-connected as it first manifested in service and has been continuous since separation.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss prior to December 9, 2019 was denied as his hearing loss did not meet the criteria for a compensable disability rating.,For the period since December 9, 2019, the Veteran's claim for a higher disability rating for bilateral hearing loss was also denied. The evidence showed that his hearing loss had improved to Level IV in the right ear and Level V in the left ear, warranting only a 10% disability rating.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for degenerative changes of the right elbow prior to December 10, 2019 was denied as there was no evidence of limitation of motion or other impairment that would justify a compensable disability rating. The RO assigned a noncompensable disability rating effective September 2015.,For the period since December 10, 2019, the Veteran's claim for an increased disability rating for degenerative changes of the right elbow was denied as his range of motion did not meet the criteria for a higher rating. The RO assigned a 20% disability rating effective September 2015.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for peripheral neuropathy was granted, indicating that it began during active service.