Hearing loss decisions — 2020

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there is no evidence to support these conditions arose during or as a result of his active military service.

The Board has granted service connection for left ear hearing loss but remanded the issue of right ear hearing loss due to conflicting medical opinions and insufficient evidence.

The Board has determined that new and relevant evidence has been submitted for the claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus. As a result, these claims are being remanded to allow for further review.

The Board has decided that the Veteran does not have a current disability of bilateral hearing loss for VA purposes and therefore denied service connection. The issue of tinnitus is remanded due to duty-to-assist error.

Service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, cirrhosis of the liver, and bilateral hearing loss is denied.,The Veteran's left shoulder disability and radiculopathy are remanded for further development.

The Board has granted a 100% disability rating for coronary artery disease effective January 20, 2020. Housebound special monthly compensation is also granted effective that date. The Veteran's increased rating claim and service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are remanded due to the need for additional development.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the conditions are at least as likely as not related to noise exposure during military service.

The Veteran's service connection claim for bilateral hearing loss was denied, while his PTSD received an increased rating to 70% from August 19, 2010, to the present. The appeal is mixed as some issues were granted and others not.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and increased rating for arthritis of the right wrist were denied. The effective date for service connection was set at February 22, 2020, as this is when the medical evidence first showed the Veteran meeting the auditory threshold requirements for compensation purposes.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's currently diagnosed bilateral hearing loss is related to his in-service noise exposure, and thus service connection for this condition is granted.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for left ear hearing loss, finding that it is related to his military service.

The Veteran's service connection claims for various conditions are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and records.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient opinions regarding whether the Veteran's service-connected allergic rhinitis caused his sleep apnea. The claim for increased rating of allergic rhinitis remains pending.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss is currently rated as noncompensable, with a Maryland CNC speech recognition score of 88% in the right ear and 100% in the left ear. The Board found that this level of hearing acuity does not warrant a compensable rating.

The Board has decided to remand the cases of bilateral hearing loss and Meniere's syndrome for further development. The claims will be reviewed again with new evidence, specifically focusing on noise exposure during service.

The Board has granted service connection for major depressive disorder caused by service-connected disabilities, including left knee disability. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss claim is denied as there is no current diagnosis of a hearing loss disability. A 10 percent rating is granted for the left knee disability effective March 29, 2016.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and hypertension. The decision is remanded for further development regarding the hypertension claim.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has been rated at various levels over different periods, with the highest rating of 30% granted from November 21, 2016 to April 11, 2017. The decision also notes that a compensable rating for the condition is not warranted.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that the Veteran had some degree of hearing loss at separation from service in 1971 and that he has reported the onset of his hearing loss as 1971. The decision supports a grant of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is rated at 10 percent, effective February 1, 2017.,The Veteran meets the criteria for a TDIU due to his service-connected disabilities.