Hearing loss decisions — 2020

The Veteran's claim for service connection for COPD is denied as the evidence does not support a link between his current condition and in-service asbestos exposure.,Service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied because there was no increase in severity during service. The Veteran had pre-existing hearing loss at entry into service.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for DM II (diabetes mellitus type 2) due to herbicide agent exposure is remanded as VA needs to verify his reported exposure.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was previously rated as noncompensable prior to January 15, 2015. Since then, he has been rated at 30 percent for the period since January 15, 2015.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is rated at a 10 percent disability rating effective October 7, 2019. Prior to that date, the condition was not service-connected.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss and residuals of a broken nose due to insufficient evidence or need for further examination.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bipolar disorder with depression has been reopened and granted.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for left ear hearing loss remains pending and is being remanded.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus was granted. The claims for a dental disability and an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss were denied.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a bilateral leg condition and a compensable disability rating for left ear hearing loss, finding that there is no evidence to support these claims.

The Board has granted service connection for right ear hearing loss but has remanded the issue of respiratory disorder due to lack of sufficient evidence.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's current hearing impairment is not related to his military service.,The Board also denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD and depressive disorder), concluding that there was no evidence of a diagnosis of PTSD during or in proximity to the relevant appeal period.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's tinnitus is service-connected, but has remanded the issue of his bilateral hearing loss due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has been rated at 60 percent since October 7, 2014. The Board found that the evidence supported a higher rating than what was initially assigned.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently rated as noncompensable, and the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted based on the current evidence.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's timely Notice of Disagreement (NOD) was received and is remanding the cases for issuance of a Statement of the Case (SOC).

The Board has granted a TDIU effective June 3, 2015, based on the Veteran's service-connected disabilities preventing him from securing or following substantially gainful employment.

The Board has determined that additional opinions and VA examinations are needed to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claims for service connection for various disabilities, including right foot, hip, low back, leg, shoulder, hand, and bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to invalid test results for hearing loss, and a new VA examination is needed to determine if there is a current disability related to service.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, but remanded the issues of bilateral hearing loss, bilateral eye disability, and bilateral lower extremity neuropathy due to lack of nexus opinions.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss has been reopened and granted. The claim for service connection for irritable bowel syndrome is remanded due to the need for a VA examination.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss did not have its clinical onset during service and is not otherwise related to active duty. The VA examiner found no nexus between current bilateral hearing loss and military noise exposure.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine and PTSD, have prevented him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment consistent with his educational and vocational experience.