Hearing loss decisions — 2021

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a traumatic brain injury is denied as the evidence does not support a finding that he had such an injury during his active service.,The Veteran's lumbar spine disability, rated at 40 percent prior to August 19, 2014, and 20 percent thereafter, is remanded for further development due to inconsistencies in the medical records regarding the nature of the injuries sustained during service.,The Veteran's right lower extremity radiculopathy is granted a higher rating of 40 percent from November 8, 2019, but his left lower extremity radiculopathy remains at 40 percent. Both conditions are remanded for further development.,The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss claim is also remanded as the evidence does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Board has denied service connection for various conditions including bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, a low back disability, hypertension, right foot and left foot disabilities, and hip disabilities. The evidence does not support a finding that these conditions are related to the Veteran's military service.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was rated as noncompensable until February 24, 2020. From that date, the rating increased to a 40 percent disability evaluation.

The Veteran withdrew their appeals regarding service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and skin cancer.

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed as he requested to withdraw his claims for spleen disability and right knee scar.,The claim for service connection for OSA has been reopened due to the submission of new evidence.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for increased ratings and TDIU due to service-connected bilateral hearing loss. The reasons are that missing Maryland CNC speech discrimination testing results need to be obtained, and clarification is needed on which word list was used in certain examinations.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss disability, right knee disability, left knee disability, lumbar spine disability, and diabetes mellitus type II due to inadequate VA examinations and incomplete records. The Veteran is required to provide authorization for release of his private treatment records from Precision Fabric and Pleasant Garden Family Medicine.

The Board has granted service connection for renal glycosuria but denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for bilateral hearing loss has been dismissed because the Veteran requested and his representative withdrew the appeal.

The Board dismissed the Veteran's appeals of his claims for increased ratings for Erectile Dysfunction, Kidney Disability, Bilateral Hearing Loss Disability, and Diabetes Mellitus. The claim for an increased rating for Residuals of Cerebrovascular Accident is remanded.

The Veteran's appeal for special monthly compensation at the housebound rate is denied prior to January 17, 2019. From January 17, 2019, his case was dismissed as moot due to concurrent awards of SMC based on need for aid and attendance.

The Board has determined that there was a pre-decisional duty to assist error in the adjudication of the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, as VA did not obtain an adequate medical opinion regarding whether these conditions are related to service. The claims are therefore being remanded for further development.

The Board has granted service connection for left ear hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the evidence is in approximate balance with respect to whether these conditions had their onset during military service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for financial assistance in purchasing an automobile or other conveyance, as they do not include visual impairment, burn injuries, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or disability of the extremities, hands, or feet.

The Board has granted service connection for a low back disability, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus. The evidence is at least in equipoise regarding the etiology of these conditions, with some opinions suggesting they are related to service.

Service connection granted for Grave's disease (hypothyroidism) and readjudication of the claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities is required. Bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, lumbar spine disorder (arthritis), and obstructive sleep apnea are denied.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's tinnitus claim is granted. The hearing loss claim is remanded for further review.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not preclude him from securing and maintaining substantially gainful employment, thus the TDIU claim was denied.

The appeal for increased ratings for PTSD is dismissed. Service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are granted, but the appeal for service connection of temporal bone tumor is remanded.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate examination and opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's right ear hearing loss. The examiner was not able to provide a clear opinion based on the provided information.