Hearing loss decisions — 2020

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him incapable of securing and maintaining substantially gainful employment, and the Board granted his claim for TDIU.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is not currently severe enough to warrant a compensable disability rating.,Service connection for low back osteoarthritis and left knee arthritis are both denied as the evidence does not establish that these conditions began during service or are otherwise related to military service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of an eye injury has been reopened, and the Board finds new and material evidence to support this reopening. The claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have both been granted.,Service connection is established for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, with no specific exposure basis provided.

The Board denied the claims of service connection for groin pain, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus due to a lack of evidence linking these conditions to service. The appellant's complaints were not documented in his service records, and there was no medical evidence showing that any current disabilities had onset during or were related to his military service.

The Board has determined that the VA examiner's opinion regarding the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is inadequate and remanded for further examination. The case will be returned to the Board after a new examination.

The Veteran's memory impairment is service connected on a secondary basis to her service-connected mental health conditions. The claims for PTSD, carbon monoxide poisoning, respiratory condition, right hip condition, and allergic rhinitis are denied as there is no evidence of these conditions in service or related to the Veteran's military service. Hearing loss is granted based on VA criteria.

The Veteran's tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss were denied as not related to service, with the Board finding that current evidence does not support a connection between these conditions and his military service.

The Board granted service connection for right ear hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's current condition is due to his in-service noise exposure and granting the benefit of doubt.

The Veteran's claim to reopen service connection for bilateral hearing loss and acquired psychiatric disorder (including major depressive disorder and PTSD) has been granted. The Board found new and material evidence in the form of the Veteran’s testimony and a private treatment record, leading to the reopening of these claims.

The Veteran's current disability is listed under an 8100 diagnostic code (migraine headaches), rather than a 6100 (hearing loss) and should be corrected. The Board finds a remand is necessary in order to afford him a more contemporaneous examination of his hearing loss disability.

The Board has ordered additional VA medical records to be obtained, including audiograms from November 2015 and March 2017 and 2018. The hearing loss evaluation is being remanded for further action.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a hearing loss disability in either ear as defined by VA regulations, and therefore cannot establish service connection for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current left ear hearing loss disability for VA purposes and therefore, service connection is denied. The claims of service connection for back disability, hypertension, and vertigo are remanded as there is insufficient evidence to determine if these conditions are related to service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of a left knee injury, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and skin disability are being remanded due to the submission of new evidence that does not relate to these issues.,Service connection for respiratory disability is denied as there is no diagnosed respiratory condition.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether these conditions are causally related to military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there was no evidence of in-service injury or disease resulting in these conditions.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is rated as noncompensable, with Level I hearing impairment in both ears. The Board denied a higher rating based on the current evidence of record.

The Veteran's appeal for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss is being remanded due to incomplete records. The VA needs to obtain any outstanding treatment records, particularly the October 2014 and August 2017 audiograms with tonal thresholds.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus but denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for service connection due to missing documentation from June 2016 to January 2020. The Veteran's original claims remain on appeal and need to be readjudicated with all relevant evidence included.