Hearing loss decisions — 2020

The Veteran's anxiety disorder and depressive disorder are related to his active service, and he is granted service connection for these conditions. His tinnitus is also found to be related to service, but his bilateral hearing loss does not meet the criteria for a VA disability.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to an inadequate VA opinion regarding whether the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is related to his active duty service. The case will be returned for further examination and a new opinion.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, left elbow condition, and bilateral hearing loss, have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. The Board has granted entitlement to a TDIU based on these conditions.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was evaluated at a 30% rating, as the audiometric test results did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding the preponderance of evidence against a nexus to active duty service. The Board also denied service connection for cardiovascular disorder due to herbicide exposure, concluding that there was no credible medical opinion linking it to service.,Service connection for these conditions is not granted as the evidence does not establish a direct link between the disabilities and active duty service.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn for the issue of entitlement to an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus.,The claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss was reopened due to new and material evidence, but a higher rating is still denied.,An effective date earlier than July 8, 2014 for the grant of service connection for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine is denied.,A TDIU is granted from June 3, 2019 onwards, but not prior to that date.,The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his cervical spine disability remains in appellate status.

The Board has remanded the claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to a lack of adequate medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's current hearing loss is related to his in-service noise exposure. The examiner must address the conflicting IOM report and consider the Veteran's reports of hearing loss symptoms during and since service, including from an explosive device that went off near his head.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is related to his active duty service, and the Board has granted service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss has been reopened and granted. Right ear hearing loss is also granted, but on the basis of aggravation during service. Left ear hearing loss is granted.,Service connection for left ear hearing loss is established based on noise exposure in service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hearing loss, vertigo, and sleep apnea has been granted. Service connection is established for hearing loss as it is found to be related to his period of active service. The claims for heart disorder/disease and vertigo are remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss is denied.,The Veteran's claim for an increased rating in excess of 0 percent prior to August 2, 2018, and in excess of 10 percent thereafter for his corneal scars and right eye traumatic cataract is denied. The Veteran was granted a 10% rating effective from August 2, 2018.,The Veteran's claim for TDIU prior to March 21, 2013 is denied as he did not meet the disability rating percentage threshold.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is granted as service-connected.,The Veteran's skin cancer is denied as not related to his active service or presumed exposure to herbicides.,The Veteran's peripheral neuropathy, left lower extremity, and right lower extremity are remanded for further examination and opinion.,The Veteran's peripheral neuropathy, left lower extremity, and right lower extremity are remanded for further examination and opinion.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and diabetes were denied as not related to service.

The Veteran's appeal for a compensable rating for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss prior to March 10, 2008 is denied. The Board finds that the evidence does not support a higher rating before this date.,The effective date of the grant of a 10 percent disability rating for the Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss is remanded as there is no evidence showing an increase in severity prior to March 10, 2008.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence of the severity of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss, and additional examination is needed. The claim for increased rating remains pending.

The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss is remanded due to the need for a VA examination. The Veteran was unable to attend previous examinations because of his age and health conditions during the pandemic.

The Board has found that the Veteran's left eye corneal opacity is related to service and granted service connection for it. The issues of bilateral hearing loss, bilateral nuclear sclerosis, left eye macular degeneration, and left eye posterior vitreous detachment are remanded due to duty-to-assist errors.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to a duty-to-assist error. The Veteran is not entitled to service connection for various conditions including bilateral hearing loss, back, heart, shin splints, and TB.

The Veteran's ratings for bilateral sensorineural hearing loss and sinusitis, maxillary were restored as the evidence did not show actual improvement in their conditions.

The Veteran's claims for migraine disability, loss of two fingertips of the left hand, right ear tinnitus, and right ear hearing loss have all been denied as there is no credible evidence linking these conditions to service.,There are no medical records showing any complaints or diagnoses related to these conditions during or shortly after service.