Hearing loss decisions — 2020

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for lumbar spine disability and bilateral hearing loss due to insufficient medical opinions and incomplete records. The claims will be returned to the AOJ for further action.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for TDIU due to service-connected disabilities, finding that the evidence did not show he was unemployable due to his disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were reopened. The Board found that the Veteran did not have current bilateral hearing loss or tinnitus related to his military service, but granted service connection for tinnitus as it was related to his hearing loss.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and hypertension due to a lack of VA examinations. The AOJ is instructed to schedule these exams, address obesity as a secondary theory of service connection for hypertension, and determine if the Veteran's service-connected disabilities have aggravated his hypertension.

The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss prior to February 27, 2017 and from that date onwards was denied. The Veteran is currently rated at a 20% disability rating for his bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's TDIU claim was denied as his service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from securing or following substantially gainful employment.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are related to his in-service noise exposure.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is related to his military service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection and increased ratings on multiple conditions is remanded due to the submission of new evidence that raises a reasonable possibility of substantiating his claims.

The Board has remanded the cases of bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus for additional development, including obtaining new medical opinions to determine if these conditions are related to service.

The Veteran's appeals for earlier effective dates and service connection have been dismissed.,The Board has remanded several issues including those related to the Veteran's knees, ankles, feet, lumbar spine, and headaches.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's left ear hearing loss disability, finding that it is related to in-service noise exposure and resolving reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 30 percent for bilateral hearing loss prior to May 23, 2019 is denied as the evidence does not support a higher evaluation.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is related to in-service noise exposure and granted service connection. However, the issue of service connection for melanoma remains pending as no VA examiner has provided an opinion on its relationship to military service or herbicide agent exposure.

The Veteran's appeals for various disabilities, including bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, knee disabilities, macular degeneration, hypertension, aortic blood vessel aneurism, vertigo, COPD, and congestive heart failure, have been dismissed due to the death of the Veteran. The appeal is now moot.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for a PTSD rating is denied as there were no pending claims prior to the October 5, 2016 application.,A TDIU rating is granted effective October 5, 2016 based on the Veteran's service-connected PTSD disability.,The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating as his right ear has Level II hearing and left ear has Level I hearing.,Service connection for a left ankle condition is remanded due to lack of evidence in the record.,Service connection for a bilateral knee condition is also remanded due to lack of evidence in the record.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and examination to determine the current severity of the Veteran's service-connected right-hand burn residuals, as well as their impact on his occupational and daily functioning. The claims are not about service connection but rather about rating determinations.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral lower extremity neuropathy, diabetes mellitus type II, and basal cell skin carcinoma. The claim for right ear hearing loss is remanded due to lack of recent VA examination.

The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating for tinnitus is dismissed. The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for CAD, DM II, HTN, and bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss is remanded due to the need for updated VA treatment records and a new examination.