Hearing loss decisions — 2021

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and remanded the case to obtain an examination for vertigo. The case is being returned to the RO for further action.

The Veteran's service-connected back disability, along with other disabilities, rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation from May 17, 2014. He is also entitled to special monthly compensation at the housebound rate for this period.

The Veteran's hearing loss prior to October 31, 2016 was rated as noncompensable due to the presence of Level I hearing acuity in both ears.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate examination and failure to consider the Veteran's lay statements regarding noise exposure during service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and bilateral tinea pedis and tinea unguium have been granted. The right knee disability claim is remanded for further action.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, respiratory conditions, status post-lobectomy residuals, sinus condition, corneal ulcers, GERD, erectile dysfunction, and testosterone deficiency due to their potential secondary nature to his respiratory condition. The appeals are pending further VA examination and/or medical opinion.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for hypertension and diabetes mellitus, type II have been dismissed. The claim to reopen his bilateral hearing loss has been granted.,The Board has remanded the issue of service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran was granted a TDIU for the period prior to July 16, 2010 due to his service-connected disabilities making it impossible for him to maintain gainful employment.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to uncertainty regarding the presence of hearing loss for VA purposes and the need for a new VA examination to clarify this issue.

The Veteran's death was not service-connected, and the appeal for DIC benefits is denied.

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings for various service-connected conditions was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating for any of the conditions, including right knee chondromalacia, left knee Palligrini-Stieda's disease with chondromalacia, seborrheic dermatitis, bilateral pes planus, right shoulder disability, left shoulder disability, right elbow disability, left elbow disability, bilateral hearing loss disability, residuals of traumatic brain injury (TBI), neck or cervical spine disability, and low back or thoracolumbar spine disability.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for service connection of bilateral hearing loss, resulting in the dismissal of this issue.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has been rated at 80 percent since April 7, 2021. The Board found that the earlier examination results were not accurate and granted a higher rating throughout the appeal period.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, as secondary to his service-connected Parry Romberg Syndrome. The VA needs to obtain an adequate nexus opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and whether it is aggravated by his service-connected condition.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is remanded due to the lack of a proper opinion regarding its etiology. The VA examiner did not provide an adequate opinion addressing whether the hearing loss is related to his military service, including his exposure to hazardous noise levels.

The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating greater than 60 percent for bilateral hearing loss has been dismissed due to their passing away before a decision was made.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has been rated as noncompensable throughout the appeal period, with puretone thresholds averaging 31-38 decibels in both ears and speech recognition scores of 94%.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and PTSD due to incomplete development of records and need for additional examination.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for right elbow condition, right ear hearing loss, and right ankle condition due to inadequate VA examinations. The new examinations are needed to address whether these conditions are related to service.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there is no competent medical evidence to support a link between his current hearing loss and his military service.