Hearing loss decisions — 2020

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for right ear hearing loss and an initial compensable rating for left ear hearing loss due to inadequate VA examinations and missing audiogram records. The Veteran needs a new VA examination to determine if his current hearing loss is related to military noise exposure.

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss was found to be Level I from November 24, 2010 to November 21, 2015 and Level I for bilateral hearing loss beginning November 21, 2015. The Board denied entitlement to a compensable rating in both cases.

The Board has determined that further development is needed for the Veteran's claims of service connection for various conditions, including bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, acne vulgaris, cervical spine disability, left ankle disability, low back disability, radiculopathy, and obstructive pulmonary disease or asthma. The claims are being remanded to obtain additional medical opinions and evidence.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss has been granted. The claims for renal cell carcinoma, an acquired psychiatric disorder (depression), and a right ankle disability are being remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, but has remanded the issue of service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to inadequate rationale in the VA examination.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and lung disease are granted as service-connected, with the Board finding that there is at least a 50% likelihood of causation to his military service.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable initial rating for service-connected bilateral hearing loss disability was denied by the Board. The Veteran has level III hearing acuity in the right ear and level I hearing acuity in the left ear, resulting in no compensation being awarded.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for right knee disability and bilateral hearing loss were denied. The decision found that the evidence did not meet criteria for higher ratings under applicable VA rating schedules.

The Veteran's appeals for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss and initial compensable rating for loss of teeth, also claimed as surgery and right-sided jaw injury were both denied by the Board.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to his service-connected disabilities, finding that they do not preclude him from securing and following substantially gainful employment.

The Board has denied service connection for lung scarring and remanded the issues of hearing loss and tinnitus due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Veteran's claim for higher ratings for bilateral hearing loss was denied. Prior to January 26, 2016, the disability rating remained at noncompensable. Since then, it has been rated at 50 percent.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that his current diagnosis is related to in-service noise exposure. The appeal was not about service connection at all.

The Veteran's tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, GERD, and erectile dysfunction are all granted service connection. However, the Veteran's hemorrhoids, left shoulder condition, and left foot bone spurs do not meet the criteria for service connection.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for various conditions, including left shoulder disorder, bilateral elbow disorder, hypertension, right shoulder disorder, bilateral knee disorder, and tinnitus. The appeals are being remanded to obtain additional medical opinions and evidence related to these issues.

The Veteran's service-connected right ear hearing loss is being remanded for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of his condition and its impact on his daily activities.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient clarification of the Veteran's employment history since August 2010. The claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus remain pending.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for left knee disability, low back disability, and bilateral hearing loss and hyperacusis due to insufficient medical opinions. The TDIU claim is also remanded as it is inextricably intertwined with these issues.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently rated at 10 percent, effective October 3, 2017. The Board found no evidence prior to this date that warranted a higher rating.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for IBS is granted, and he is assigned a noncompensable rating for bilateral hearing loss. The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus is denied.