Hearing loss decisions — 2020

The Veteran's claim for increased rating for bilateral hearing loss is denied. The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the left and right lower extremities due to herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, as well as his initial rating requests for heart disability were all denied. The Board found that there was no evidence linking the disabilities to service or post-service onset.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and earlier effective dates were dismissed.,Service connection for obstructive sleep apnea was granted as secondary to service-connected PTSD.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is related to his service, as there is at least equipoise evidence supporting this conclusion. The claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is therefore granted.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to insufficient evidence regarding noise exposure during service. The Veteran's claim for service connection is pending.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is granted as service-connected.,For the period prior to January 28, 2020, a rating in excess of 10 percent for his low back disability is denied. From January 28, 2020 onwards, a rating in excess of 40 percent is also denied.

The appeal for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability (other than PTSD) is dismissed.,The appeals for service connection for a blood clot in the lung and for effective dates earlier than September 12, 2013, for prostate cancer and July 25, 2012, for bilateral hearing loss are dismissed.,An 80 percent rating for bilateral hearing loss is granted as of February 27, 2014.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to insufficient rationale in the previous VA opinion.

The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate VA examination in January 2015, and a new opinion is needed regarding the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, low back condition, erectile dysfunction (ED), and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) due to potential issues with causation or aggravation.,Specifically, the Board requested additional opinions regarding the etiology of these conditions.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss, specifically addressing threshold levels higher than 20 decibels in the April 1964 audio examination and shifts from that examination to subsequent examinations.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service-connected due to in-service noise exposure. However, his bilateral hearing loss does not meet the criteria for a disability under VA regulations.,The Board has found that there was no substantial compliance with prior remand directives regarding joint conditions and vertigo.

The appeal for service connection for bilateral hearing loss has been dismissed as the Veteran withdrew his appeal before the Board.,The claim of service connection for a left knee condition, to include as secondary to service-connected disabilities is being remanded due to insufficient evidence and need for further examination.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and residuals of a nose injury, including headaches, nausea, and dizziness. The decision is based on the Veteran's competent and credible lay testimony regarding his in-service injuries.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's claimed conditions and their relationship to his military service.

The Veteran's application to reopen a claim of service connection for left ear hearing loss was granted. Service connection is also granted.,Service connection is granted for right wrist tendonitis and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), but these claims are remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is found to be related to his service exposure to hazardous noise, and the Board grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has denied a compensable rating for right ear hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's impairment does not meet or approximate the criteria for a compensable evaluation under VA's rating schedule.

The Board denied a higher evaluation for the Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss disability, finding that it did not meet the criteria for an initial compensable evaluation.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, left ankle condition, lower back condition, and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy due to incomplete development of his service connection claims. The AOJ is instructed to obtain missing service treatment records, conduct additional examinations, and provide adequate opinions regarding the etiology of these conditions.