Hearing loss decisions — 2020

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that these conditions are related to the Veteran's active military service.

The Board has granted service connection for right ear hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's current condition had its onset during his military service.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss disability has been rated as noncompensable, and the Board denied an increased rating.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for sinusitis has been denied as she does not have a current diagnosis of the condition.,The evidence submitted since the last final denial does not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim of left ear hearing loss, and thus the application to reopen this claim is denied.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability from January 15, 2013 to November 15, 2018 due to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is related to his active service, and therefore grants entitlement to service connection for this condition.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for hearing loss due to lack of evidence linking it to his active service. The case is remanded for further development and consideration regarding the Veteran's skin cancer.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for service connection of bilateral hearing loss, arthritis, and hypertension due to the death of the appellant.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeals for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, hypertension, and an acquired psychiatric disorder other than depressive disorder with anxiety to include bipolar disorder. The claims for reopening of service connection for congestive heart failure and kidney failure have been granted due to new evidence submitted after the March 2015 denial. However, the Board has denied the secondary service connection claims as there is no established in-service event or injury for these conditions.

The Board has remanded the cases due to incomplete records and for additional medical opinions. The Veteran's service connection claims are not related to military service or noise exposure.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's previously denied claims for bilateral hearing loss and a skin disorder to include hives to the entire body. The claims are now remanded for further development, including VA examinations.

The Board has remanded the issue of service connection for ear conditions, including otitis media and dysfunction of eustachian tube. The VA examiner did not provide a diagnosis for these conditions in the post-remand examination.,The Veteran's claims for right ear hearing loss, left ear hearing loss, migraine headaches, otitis media, and dysfunction of eustachian tube are currently pending.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral hearing loss disability has been reopened, but the Board is remanding it due to insufficient evidence regarding its onset and relationship to service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current disability and noise exposure during service.

The Board denied service connection for inner ear disability and sensorineural hearing loss, finding that the Veteran did not have a current diagnosis of these conditions during his appeal period. The Board also found no in-service disease or injury related to inner-ear symptoms.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is currently rated at 30 percent prior to December 11, 2019 and in excess of 30 percent thereafter. The Board has determined that the evidence does not support a higher rating for any period.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss is denied as his hearing acuity does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.

The Veteran's service connection for bilateral hearing loss is granted. For the initial rating period from August 11, 2016, a disability rating in excess of 10 percent for left knee DJD and instability is denied. TDIU for the period from December 20, 2011 to March 28, 2013 (excluding the period from November 28, 2012 to January 1, 2013 when the Veteran has a 100 percent (total) schedular rating) is granted.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for bilateral hearing loss was dismissed because the Veteran died during the pendency of the appeal.

The Veteran's appeal for an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss, which was related to a right ear acoustic neuroma, has been dismissed due to the Veteran's death.