Hearing loss decisions — 2020

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder (major depression) due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to service. The low back disability claim is remanded for a VA examination.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and a right knee disability due to new evidence received since the final denial. The claim for coronary artery disease remains pending as it was granted on a presumptive basis.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim of service connection for left ear hearing loss, finding that it is not related to active duty service or service-connected right ear hearing loss.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including bilateral hearing loss, an acquired psychiatric disorder (claimed as insomnia), a bilateral shoulder disability, a lumbar spine disability, residuals of malaria, and a sinus disability. The decision also denied initial compensable ratings for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board denied service connection for sleep apnea, hypertension, tinnitus, bilateral eye disability, erectile dysfunction, bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome, bilateral sinusitis, vertigo, and bilateral hearing loss disability. The Veteran's claims were not reopened due to the lack of new evidence.,Service connection was also denied for insomnia.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to new evidence received since the last final denial. The appellant's testimony at the January 2020 hearing supports a link between his current disabilities and noise exposure during active duty training.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right ear hearing loss disability and left ear hearing loss disability, finding that there is no evidence of a current disability related to service.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus but has remanded the case for a new examination to determine if hearing loss is related to service. The Veteran's claims are pending and will be reconsidered after further evaluation.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened and are granted. The Board found new and material evidence to support the reopening of his claims, including medical articles linking tinnitus to mental health disorders and VA examination findings supporting the Veteran's current conditions.

The Board has remanded the claims for entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to new evidence received since the September 2006 rating decision. The Veteran's current diagnoses of bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are at least as likely as not related to his period of active service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied as there is no current disability of hearing loss in accordance with VA regulations.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for a residual scar on the left groin from surgical repair of an inguinal hernia is granted.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development due to incomplete VA examination reports.

The Board denied a compensable rating for the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss, finding that the evidence did not support a higher evaluation based on VA's hearing impairment rating criteria.

The Board dismissed the appeals for increased ratings of left and right shoulder degenerative joint diseases, abdominal scars, and right knee instability. The claims for service connection for left ear hearing loss were denied. The Veteran's right knee instability was granted a 10 percent rating from April 18, 2013, and a 20 percent rating from May 31, 2018. The claims for femoral nerve radiculopathies are remanded.

The Board has found that the VA opinions were inadequate and remanded for further development regarding service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. The claims are being returned to the AOJ for additional examination and analysis.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss and PTSD, as well as his claim for service connection for chloracne.

The Board has granted service connection for a right shoulder disability, finding that the Veteran's current condition is related to his active duty. However, it denied entitlement to a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has found the VA examinations inadequate and remanded for further evaluations, including a new examination to assess the Veteran's service-connected lumbar spine disability. The TDIU issue is also being remanded.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is causally or etiologically due to exposure to acoustic trauma during service, and thus grants his claim for service connection.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) prior to May 14, 2012. The evidence did not show that his service-connected disabilities alone prevented him from securing or maintaining substantially gainful employment.