Hearing loss decisions — 2020

The Veteran's claim to reopen service connection for a right hip disability has been granted. The effective date of the grant is January 28, 2020.,Claims for increased ratings for left knee instability and discogenic disease of the dorsal spine have been remanded due to lack of evidence showing worsening in the year prior to March 3, 2015.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 70 percent, the maximum schedular rating.,Bilateral hearing loss was initially rated as noncompensable prior to July 31, 2019 and subsequently increased to 30 percent since that date.,Tinnitus has a current rating of 10 percent.,Diabetes mellitus type II is currently rated at 10 percent.,The Veteran's left thigh scar does not meet the criteria for an initial compensable disability rating.,Issues related to PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, diabetes, and the left thigh scar are being remanded.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral hearing loss disability, finding that it is attributable to noise exposure during his military service.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently rated at 30 percent, which is the maximum schedular evaluation available. The Board finds that this rating adequately reflects his disability level and symptomatology.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's exposure to loud noise during military service is the most likely cause of his current conditions.

The Veteran's left ear hearing loss is granted as service-connected, while his skin condition of the bilateral feet and ankles is denied.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's current condition is related to noise exposure during his military service.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for service connection of lumbosacral strain and bilateral hearing loss due to the claimant's death.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss, traumatic brain injury, and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to a lack of sufficient medical evidence to determine their etiology. The Veteran reported injuries in service that may have contributed to these conditions.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability is related to his military service. The Veteran was exposed to noise during service, but a VA examiner found no evidence linking the current hearing loss to in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's appeal is being returned to the Board for further adjudication due to errors in previous determinations regarding his migraines/headaches and sleep disorder.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and an acquired psychiatric disability due to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune, as the May 2011 VA opinions are inadequate. The Veteran is also being remanded for a TDIU issue.

The Board has dismissed the appeals regarding service connection for hypertension, bilateral knee conditions, and bilateral hearing loss due to the appellant's withdrawal of the appeal.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there is no evidence of a current disability related to his military service. The preponderance of the evidence does not support a finding that the Veteran's hearing loss began during or was aggravated by his active duty.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss was reopened and granted. The Board found that the evidence, including private treatment records and the Veteran's personal statements, related to an unestablished fact necessary to substantiate the claim (the existence of a current disability), raising a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal, and the Board dismissed the case due to lack of allegations of error in the determination.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient audiological testing results and needs a new VA examination to determine if the Veteran's hearing loss is related to his military service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss and GERD with diverticulitis were denied. The Board found that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for higher ratings based on his symptoms and medical records.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his bilateral hearing loss disability was denied as the evidence did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection were dismissed. The appeal to establish entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability was denied. Appeals for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and COPD were withdrawn prior to the Board decision.