Hearing loss decisions — 2020

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is rated as noncompensable, with Level III impairment in the right ear and Level II impairment in the left ear. The Board found that his claim for an increased rating was denied.

The Board has remanded the case for further development regarding the Veteran's lower back disability. The appeal remains pending and will be reconsidered after any additional evidence is obtained.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been withdrawn. The Board has also denied his claim for bilateral hearing loss and granted his claim for a head scar. The remaining issues, including arthritis of the right wrist, right shoulder rotator entrapment, bilateral foot pain, head trauma, diabetes mellitus, numbness in hands (secondary to diabetes), and hemorrhoids, have been remanded.

The Veteran's claim to reopen his previously denied claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, left knee condition, and left hip condition is granted. The claims of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability (PTSD) are also reopened.,The Board has determined that new evidence received since the previous final denial raises a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claims of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, left knee, and left hip.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral sensorineural hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's continuous symptoms since service and current disability meet the criteria for presumptive service connection.

The Veteran's abdominal scars are granted as they were incurred during active service.,Service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and depression, is denied due to lack of evidence linking the conditions to service or service-connected disabilities.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a need for an additional medical opinion regarding the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability.

The Board denied service connection for right ear hearing loss and left ear hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's current hearing loss did not have its onset during service or is otherwise related to service. The claim was remanded multiple times but no additional development was provided.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's appeal for compensable evaluations for bilateral hearing loss, and initial evaluations in excess of 10 percent for right knee strain and left knee strain requires additional development due to missing VA examinations. The appeals are being remanded.

The Veteran's appeal regarding service connection for coronary artery disease, bilateral hearing loss, glaucoma, erectile dysfunction, prostate disability, skin rash (recurring skin sensation disturbance), and peripheral neuropathy of the right upper extremity, left upper extremity, right lower extremity, and left lower extremity is denied. The appeals are remanded to obtain additional medical examinations.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's hearing loss disability. The VA is instructed to obtain service personnel records and provide a medical opinion on whether the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is linked to noise exposure in active service.

The Veteran's appeal is granted for reopening of claims for service connection for tinnitus. The Board finds new and material evidence to reopen the claim for bilateral hearing loss, but remands it for further development. Service connection for PTSD and TDIU are also remanded.

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 40 percent for prostate cancer residuals and his TDIU claim have been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support an increased disability rating, and his TDIU claim was moot due to existing SMC based on his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's appeals for various disabilities have been dismissed due to his death.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's current hearing loss is at least as likely as not related to his military service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment prior to March 14, 2019.

The Veteran's left ear hearing loss was evaluated and found to be at Level V, resulting in a noncompensable rating as the service-connected left ear would not be compensable in degree.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss has been denied. The issue of service connection for diabetes mellitus (diabetes) secondary to herbicide agent exposure is remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to inadequate rationale in previous medical opinions. The case will be returned to the agency of original jurisdiction (AOJ) to obtain an addendum opinion that takes into account the Veteran's lay statements.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss as there was no evidence that his hearing loss met the criteria under 38 C.F.R. § 3.385 to be considered a disability for VA purposes.