Hearing loss decisions — 2020

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and migraines due to insufficient medical opinions addressing the etiology of these conditions during active duty or ACDUTRA.

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss is related to his in-service acoustic trauma, and the Board has granted service connection for this condition.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a pulmonary disorder and an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there was no evidence linking his current conditions to his military service.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is remanded due to outstanding private and VA treatment records, incomplete employment information, and the need for examinations regarding his service-connected musculoskeletal disabilities and upper extremity neuropathies.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete records and need for additional examinations. The issues include knee, cervical spine, right shoulder, left wrist, eye socket injury, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus disabilities.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is rated at 10 percent from January 31, 2020. The appeal was denied as the evidence did not support a compensable rating prior to that date.

The Veteran's appeal for an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss was dismissed due to a procedural issue where the Veteran opted into the AMA processing system, which invalidated the Board's September 2020 remand.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate medical opinions regarding whether the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is related to his military service. Additional development, including obtaining an addendum opinion from a VA examiner, is required.

The Veteran's service connection claims for sensorineural hearing loss in both ears are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examination and opinion.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability, cervical spine disability, and left foot disability due to a lack of current disabilities. The case is being remanded for further development.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there is no evidence linking his current hearing loss to his military service or any incident therein.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss was evaluated as noncompensable, and the Board found that it did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's right ear hearing loss. The Veteran is seeking service connection for this condition, which was denied in a previous decision.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, as there are insufficient records of his military service and an inadequate VA examination.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability has been rated as noncompensable throughout the appeal period, with an average pure tone threshold of no worse than Level I in both ears. The Board found that this did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss. The Veteran will need to provide records from any healthcare providers who have treated him for this condition, and a VA examiner will be asked to clarify whether his hearing loss worsened during service or if it was pre-existing.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability was denied as it did not have onset during military service or within one year of discharge from service and is not shown to be related to his military service.,Tinnitus was granted as the evidence supports that the Veteran has experienced tinnitus since service.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently rated as noncompensable, with right ear hearing impairment at Level II and left ear hearing impairment at Level III.

The Veteran's claim for bilateral hearing loss is denied as there was no evidence of a current disability, and the Board found that his hearing impairment did not begin during service or be related to in-service noise exposure.,The Veteran's claim for back disability is denied as there was no evidence of a current disability, and the Board found that his back condition did not begin during service or be related to in-service injury.

The Veteran's attorney withdrew all remaining claims on appeal, including earlier effective dates for PTSD and tinnitus, service connection for atrial fibrillation, hypertension, a skin condition, and bilateral hearing loss.