Hearing loss decisions — 2020

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate audiometric testing and the Veteran's failure to appear for a VA examination. The claim will be reviewed again with a new examination.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been granted. The claim for service connection for peripheral neuropathy, secondary to diabetes mellitus, is remanded.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there is at least equipoise evidence to support this determination. The Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability is related to his in-service noise exposure.

The Board has decided to remand the issue of restoring a higher disability rating for the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss, as the results from the July 2016 private audiological examination are unclear and need further clarification.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain an addendum medical opinion regarding the Veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus. The current rating for diabetes mellitus type II remains unchanged.

The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating and service connection for bilateral hearing loss, as well as a bilateral knee disorder, is being remanded due to the need for additional evidence. The AOJ must review all relevant VA treatment records, including those from October 2017 and after February 2019, and attempt to obtain any outstanding pertinent records.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss may be related to his active duty service, but requires a new VA medical opinion for proper evaluation.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is granted as service-connected, and her lumbar spine strain is granted a 10 percent disability rating prior to February 15, 2017, and a 20 percent disability rating from that date. The appeal for higher ratings is denied.

The Veteran's claims for tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, diabetes mellitus type II, and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma have been reopened. Service connection has been granted for tinnitus.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for CUE in the July 27, 2000 and September 16, 2015 rating decisions that granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and lumbar strain, respectively. The effective dates of October 13, 1992 and April 28, 2015 were assigned based on the Veteran's claims to reopen.

The Veteran's tinnitus is rated at the maximum allowed under VA guidelines, and his hearing loss claim requires further examination to determine if service connection should be granted.

Service connection is granted for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, as the evidence is in equipoise regarding their relationship to service.,Service connection is granted for unspecified depressive disorder, as the Veteran's symptoms are at least as likely as not related to service.,Service connection is denied for PTSD due to lack of a diagnosis under DSM criteria. Service connection is also denied for skin disorders and CAD, as there is no evidence of their onset in service or within one year post-service discharge.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and compensable rating are remanded due to the need for additional examinations.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been granted.,The Veteran's claim for a right knee condition has been remanded.

The Board has decided that the Veteran does not have left ear hearing loss for VA compensation purposes and denied service connection for this condition. The right ear hearing loss and tinnitus claims are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss prior to September 23, 2019, and a subsequent increased rating of 10 percent from that date have been denied.

The Board has determined that additional development is necessary for the Veteran's claims, including obtaining medical opinions and records. The case is being remanded to allow for this.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, bilateral recurrent tinnitus, and right knee osteoarthritis (OA).,There was no evidence of chronic conditions in service or within the applicable presumptive period. The VA audiologist opined that the Veteran’s hearing loss and tinnitus were less likely as not caused by or a result of in-service noise exposure.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to service exposure, despite some conflicting opinions. The evidence is in equipoise, granting service connection for both conditions.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for bilateral hearing loss is denied prior to March 14, 2019 and remanded for further development. The TDIU claim is also remanded.