Hearing loss decisions — 2020

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for testicular cancer and bilateral hearing loss due to potential exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune. The Veteran is seeking service connection based on new evidence, but a medical opinion is needed to determine if his current conditions are related to his military service.

The Board has granted the Veteran's motion for reconsideration and remanded the issues of service connection for left ear hearing loss, gastroenteritis, and an increased rating for anxiety, depression, and insomnia. The decision on these claims will be made based on their merits.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to service, with the Board granting service connection for these conditions.,PTSD is currently rated at 70 percent, but the Veteran's appeal for a higher rating is denied. A temporary total disability rating was granted based on inpatient PTSD treatment from September 8, 2014 to October 31, 2014.

The Veteran's urinary incontinence is granted a higher initial rating of 40 percent. The cases for bilateral hearing loss, COPD, and diabetes mellitus type 2 are remanded.

The Veteran's claims for increased hearing loss and service connection for a vestibular disorder are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and opinions.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss is being remanded for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of his condition.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional development, including obtaining private treatment records and providing an addendum opinion regarding service connection. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is rated as 10% since April 22, 2019.

The Board has remanded the cases of service connection for ischemic heart disease, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus due to insufficient evidence in the previous VA medical opinions.

The Veteran's service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss and a heart disability are remanded due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the relationship between current conditions and in-service noise exposure.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current tinnitus had onset in service. Service connection was denied for bilateral hearing loss due to lack of evidence linking it to events during service.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was granted an initial increased rating from 20 to 50 percent from February 28, 2017, to September 3, 2019.

The Veteran's kidney disorder and bilateral hearing loss are remanded for further examination and opinion. The claim for service connection for depression is also remanded due to the possibility of reopening based on a new secondary service connection theory.

The Board has decided to remand the cases of bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to inadequate medical opinions and lack of contemporaneous evidence in service records. The Veteran's claims are being returned for further examination and consideration.

The Board denied service connection for right ear hearing loss as the appellant did not meet the criteria for a current disability for VA purposes.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for low back, right knee, left knee, right foot, left foot, neurological disorders (fibromyalgia and toxic encephalopathy), CFS, heart disorder, obstructive sleep apnea, hypertension, left ear hearing loss, and right ear hearing loss. The appeals are now pending with the AOJ.

The Board has remanded the claims for a determination on whether the Veteran's discharge from February 1950 to April 1957 constitutes a bar to VA compensation benefits. The other service connection issues are also being remanded due to their inextricability with this issue.

The Board denied the Veteran's petition to reopen his claim for service connection of bilateral hearing loss and also denied his request for an earlier effective date for service connection of PTSD. The decision is final as it pertains to both issues.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, but the issues of service connection for a bilateral vision disability and bilateral hearing loss are remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there is no evidence to support a link between his military service and his current condition. The VA examiner concluded that the Veteran's hearing loss is not related to noise exposure during service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is reopened and remanded due to the need for a new examination.