Hearing loss decisions — 2020

The Board has reopened the claims of service connection for right ear hearing loss, a right knee disability, asthma, carpal tunnel syndrome of the right and left upper extremities, and traumatic brain injury. The issues are being remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's appeal of a higher rating for his bilateral hearing loss was dismissed because the appellant requested withdrawal of the claim.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for left ear hearing loss, finding that his pre-existing hearing loss did not worsen during service and was not related to military noise exposure. The evidence shows improvement in his hearing while he was in service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities (bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus) have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment, leading to a TDIU. The Veteran also has a disability rating of 10 percent for his tinnitus.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and a left wrist disability due to inadequate opinions in the original VA examinations. The Veteran's claims are being returned for further development.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities include lumbar spine disorder, bilateral hearing loss, PTSD with depression, right foot fractures, and recurrent blepharitis. The Board has found that the criteria for SMC at the housebound rate are met.,The Veteran does not meet the eligibility criteria for a special home adaptation grant due to lack of permanent total disability involving both hands or blindness in both eyes.

Service connection is granted for bilateral hearing loss and denied for tinnitus. The acquired psychiatric disorder claim remains pending as the evidence does not establish continuity of symptoms since service.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service connection claims due to additional medical records being added to the claims file after an August 2017 Supplemental Statement of Case.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional development and opinion regarding service connection for various conditions. The Veteran's left ankle disability, sinus condition, bilateral hearing loss, and gastrointestinal disorder are all under review.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there was no evidence of in-service noise exposure or a manifestation of hearing loss within one year after service. The Veteran's entrance and exit examinations showed normal hearing, and he did not report any ear trouble or hearing loss.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development due to new evidence submitted by him, including military personnel records and a VA examination report. The claims are related to his ear conditions, hearing loss, and tinnitus, which he contends were aggravated or caused by service exposure to acoustic trauma.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed for the claims of service connection for left lower extremity neuropathy, right ear hearing loss disability, and prostate cancer. The Veteran's LLE neuropathy claim will be remanded to allow for a new VA examination.

The Board has remanded the case for further development regarding service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including depression, anxiety, unspecified trauma and stress-related disorder, and posttraumatic stress disorder.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for left ear hearing loss and TDIU due to service-connected disabilities, as additional development is needed. This includes obtaining VA audiograms from recent years and scheduling a new VA examination.

The Board has dismissed the claims for service connection for right wrist, left wrist, right knee, and bilateral hearing loss disabilities as the appellant withdrew these claims prior to a decision.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been granted. The claim for pseudofolliculitis barbae is remanded.

The Board dismissed the Veteran's appeals for various issues due to the lack of an adequate substantive appeal.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss were reopened due to new evidence. Service connection is granted for tinnitus, but not for bilateral hearing loss or an acquired psychiatric disorder (including depression, schizophrenia, memory loss, sleep problems) and head trauma.

The Veteran's GERD is granted a 30% rating, but no higher. The lumbar spine disability and PTSD are remanded for further examination and opinion. Bilateral hearing loss is also remanded. TDIU remains inextricably intertwined with the other issues.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for a cerebrovascular accident has been withdrawn.,Service connection for hypertension is denied as there is no in-service event or continuous symptomatology related to the condition.,Service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus is denied due to lack of evidence showing current disability within VA standards.,The Veteran's bilateral shoulder disorder, osteoarthritis impacting multiple joints, and erectile dysfunction are remanded for further evaluation.,Further medical examination is needed to determine if the Veteran’s conditions are related to service or other service-connected disabilities.