Hearing loss decisions — 2020

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss was denied as there is no evidence of a current disability, and the preponderance of the evidence fails to establish that his diagnosed bilateral hearing loss is related to his active service.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus was granted as he incurred tinnitus during active service and has continued since separation from active service.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for PTSD and service connection for bilateral hearing loss is remanded due to duty-to-assist errors.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for hearing loss and tinnitus as they were not properly developed due to his incarceration. The Veteran will need to provide VA with any outstanding medical records, and a VA examination must be scheduled for him.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is not related to service, and thus denied service connection. The decision is being remanded for further development.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and remanded the claim for residuals of fainting spells, including anxiety, heart condition, or epilepsy.

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

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate reasoning in the July 2019 decision, specifically regarding the credibility of the Veteran's lay statements. The Veteran was exposed to noise during service and claims his hearing loss is related to this exposure.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a TDIU due to service-connected disabilities, finding that his hearing loss and tinnitus did not render him unemployable.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD has been denied. The Board found that there was no in-service stressor and the current disability is not related to service.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for Posttraumatic Headaches, Neuropsychiatric Disorder (with headaches), Anxiety, Residuals of TBI with Memory Loss, Right Eye Condition, Bilateral Hearing Loss, Post Traumatic Headaches with Dizzy Spells/Syncope (claimed as Migraines and Vertigo), Keloid Scars, and Tinnitus have been reopened. However, the claims for service connection for these conditions remain pending.

The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of written notification about previous decisions and because the Veteran's hearing test results are not associated with his claims file.

The Veteran's claims for service connection on multiple conditions are being remanded due to incomplete development of the record and need for additional medical opinions.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate reasoning in a previous VA opinion, and an addendum opinion is needed to determine if the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is related to his active service.

The Board denied an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's hearing acuity did not warrant a higher than 10 percent disability rating based on objective audiometric testing results.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable evaluation for bilateral hearing loss disability was denied as his service-connected hearing loss has been shown to be no worse than Level II in the right ear and Level I in the left ear.,Service connection for ischemic heart disease, which is presumed due to herbicide exposure, was also denied because there is no current diagnosis of a heart condition or ischemic heart disease.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service from November 6, 2000 to April 28, 2017 was dishonorable and is remanding the issues of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, left knee disorder, right knee disorder, bilateral fallen arches, left shoulder disorder, right elbow disorder, and bilateral lower extremity dry skin disorder due to a lack of VA examination records.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and an acquired psychiatric disorder, finding that the evidence did not support a link between these conditions and service.

The Veteran's initial compensable ratings for left ear hearing loss prior to March 22, 2016, and bilateral hearing loss as of that date are denied.

The Board has recharacterized the issues on appeal as individual service connection claims. The Veteran's pending service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss, bilateral flat foot, hypertension, chronic skin rash of the arms and neck, peripheral neuropathy, restless leg syndrome, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and cause of death are all remanded.,The Board has recharacterized the issues on appeal as individual service connection claims. The Veteran's pending service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss, bilateral flat foot, hypertension, chronic skin rash of the arms and neck, peripheral neuropathy, restless leg syndrome, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and cause of death are all remanded.,The Board has recharacterized the issues on appeal as individual service connection claims. The Veteran's pending service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss, bilateral flat foot, hypertension, chronic skin rash of the arms and neck, peripheral neuropathy, restless leg syndrome, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and cause of death are all remanded.,The Board has recharacterized the issues on appeal as individual service connection claims. The Veteran's pending service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss, bilateral flat foot, hypertension, chronic skin rash of the arms and neck, peripheral neuropathy, restless leg syndrome, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and cause of death are all remanded.,The Board has recharacterized the issues on appeal as individual service connection claims. The Veteran's pending service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss, bilateral flat foot, hypertension, chronic skin rash of the arms and neck, peripheral neuropathy, restless leg syndrome, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and cause of death are all remanded.,The Board has recharacterized the issues on appeal as individual service connection claims. The Veteran's pending service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss, bilateral flat foot, hypertension, chronic skin rash of the arms and neck, peripheral neuropathy, restless leg syndrome, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and cause of death are all remanded.,The Board has recharacterized the issues on appeal as individual service connection claims. The Veteran's pending service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss, bilateral flat foot, hypertension, chronic skin rash of the arms and neck, peripheral neuropathy, restless leg syndrome, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and cause of death are all remanded.,The Board has recharacterized the issues on appeal as individual service connection claims. The Veteran's pending service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss, bilateral flat foot, hypertension, chronic skin rash of the arms and neck, peripheral neuropathy, restless leg syndrome, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and cause of death are all remanded.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current left ear hearing loss disability for VA purposes and therefore denied her claim of service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of bilateral hearing loss for VA benefits purposes, and thus his claim for service connection is denied.