Hearing loss decisions — 2020

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, an acquired psychiatric disability including PTSD and depressive disorders, and ischemic heart disease due to herbicide agent exposure. The claims are being remanded for additional development and medical opinions.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss but granted service connection for tinnitus. The decision is based on the lack of evidence of hearing loss during or within one year after service and the examiner's opinion that the Veteran’s hearing loss was not caused by in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's combined rating for PTSD and Diabetes Mellitus was denied as the AOJ did not err in assigning a 60% rating prior to March 29, 2019.

The Veteran's appeal involves multiple issues, including service connection for various conditions and rating determinations for his hearing loss, back disorder, knee disorders, and psychiatric condition. The claims are currently in remanded status due to the need for additional examinations.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for headaches is remanded due to the need for additional development and evaluation.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and service connection have been dismissed due to withdrawal of the appeal. The Board has also determined that additional examinations are needed for several issues, including left shoulder strain, right elbow bursitis, cervical strain, thoracolumbar strain and scoliosis, right extensor carpi ulnaris subluxation, left extensor carpi ulnaris subluxation, lipoma on the abdomen, left knee disability, right shoulder disability, left elbow disability, right hand disability, hearing loss, psychiatric disorder to include PTSD, and jaw disability.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating of hearing loss must be remanded due to the need for a new VA examination.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. The appeal regarding an acquired psychiatric disability, specifically PTSD, is remanded.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that new evidence received since the 2012 rating decision raises a reasonable possibility of substantiating these claims. The Board also found in equipoise regarding whether the current conditions are related to service.

The Board has denied a rating in excess of 40 percent for the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss, finding that his current hearing acuity does not warrant such an increase. The case is remanded for further development regarding the Veteran's claim for TDIU.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, headaches, and right knee disorder due to insufficient evidence. Additional medical opinions are needed regarding the etiology of these conditions.

The Veteran's claim for a higher disability evaluation for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss is remanded due to the lack of recent audiological testing and the need for updated VA treatment records.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability requires a remand for further evaluation due to previous invalid test results and missed appointments. The case will be returned after compliance with appellate procedure.

The Veteran's application to reopen his previously denied claims for bilateral hearing loss, right hip disability, left hip disability, right knee disability, and left knee disability was granted. However, the claims for lumbar spine disability were denied.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable disability rating for bilateral hearing loss is denied as his hearing acuity does not meet the criteria for any higher evaluation.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to incomplete development. The AOJ is directed to adjudicate these issues on their merits, including considering new evidence submitted by the Veteran.

The Board has split the issue on appeal into two separate issues: service connection for bilateral hearing loss and service connection for a central processing disorder, to include auditory processing disorder. The Veteran should be afforded a VA examination to determine if these conditions are related to his service.

The Veteran's posttraumatic stress disorder with depression is granted as incurred in service. Service connection for left and right hip disorders, and bilateral hearing loss are denied.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are granted as service-connected due to continuous symptoms since service, meeting the requirements for presumptive service connection under VA regulations.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service connected due to in-service noise exposure. However, his bilateral hearing loss is denied as not incurred or related to service.