Hearing loss decisions — 2020

The Board denied service connection for left ear hearing loss, finding that the current condition was not incurred or caused by service and attributing it to a post-service mastoidectomy.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is remanded due to the need for additional development, including new examinations to assess the impact of his service-connected disabilities on his employability.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining complete service treatment records and VA treatment records. The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, right knee condition, right ankle sprain, left ankle sprain, right shoulder injury (including pain in the scapular area), right rib cage injury, and head injury are all remanded to obtain addendum opinions regarding their relationship to service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and the Board has granted his TDIU claim.

The Veteran's asthma was granted service connection, and his obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to asthma is also granted. The Board remanded the issue of calcified bodies of both lungs for further development.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's cervical spine disability and kidney disorder are service-connected, but his left ear hearing loss and lumbar spine disability have been remanded for further development.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to incomplete service records and to determine if the appellant suffered an injury during his period of active duty for training (ACDUTRA) which would entitle him to status as a veteran for VA purposes.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, left upper extremity peripheral neuropathy, right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, and right upper extremity peripheral neuropathy due to potential exposure to herbicide agents in Vietnam. The Veteran's hearing loss is rated as noncompensable.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and a headache disorder due to inadequate VA medical opinions. The claims are now pending with the RO.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was rated as noncompensable, with no evidence of symptoms warranting a higher rating.,The Veteran's IBS was rated at 30 percent, and the Board found that this was the maximum schedular evaluation under Diagnostic Code 7319. No higher rating is available based on other diagnostic codes.,PTSD was rated at 50 percent, with no evidence of symptoms warranting a higher rating under any applicable criteria.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is granted service connection. The Veteran's asthma does not meet the criteria for a higher initial rating of more than 30 percent.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from obtaining and maintaining all forms of substantially gainful employment, thus the claim for TDIU is denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is attributable to his period of active military service and grants service connection for this condition.

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

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the evidence is in equipoise as to whether these conditions are related to service.

The Board has remanded the claims for further action due to insufficient evidence. The Veteran's hearing loss is currently rated as 0 percent disabling, and service connection for prostate hypertrophy with urinary dysfunction cannot be established based on in-service exposure to herbicide agents.

The appeal to reopen the claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, ED, and headaches is granted. The appeals to reopen the claim of service connection for a psychiatric disability (to include depression and PTSD), hypertension, and sleep apnea are also granted.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from securing and following substantially gainful employment. The Board denied the claim for a TDIU as his disabilities did not meet the regulatory schedular rating requirements of 38 C.F.R. § 4.16 (a).

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is granted as service connected, but his back condition is denied.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, an increased rating for depressive disorder, and a TDIU due to new evidence submitted by the Veteran. The case will be returned to the AOJ for further development.