Hearing loss decisions — 2021

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for various conditions, including bilateral hearing loss, right knee disability, psychiatric disability (including PTSD), alcohol dependency/abuse, left eye disability, and memory loss. The claims are being returned for further development.

The Veteran has withdrawn all of his pending VA claims, including service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus. As a result, the appeals are dismissed.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss were denied. The Veteran was previously granted a noncompensable rating prior to April 16, 2018 and a 50 percent rating from that date forward.

The Board denied service connection for right ear hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's pre-existing condition did not worsen during his active service and attributing any current hearing loss to natural progression of age-related changes.

The Board has determined that the VA medical opinion is inadequate and remands the case for further development, including obtaining an addendum opinion to determine the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability, finding that it is at least as likely as not related to in-service noise exposure. The decision resolves doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for erectile dysfunction, secondary to herbicide exposure, is denied.,Service connection for bilateral hearing loss is granted. The Veteran meets the criteria as his current diagnosis of bilateral hearing loss was established during active duty and he has credible reports of in-service noise exposure.,The Veteran's application for TDIU due to ischemic heart disease is granted.

The Veteran's left thumb disability is currently rated as noncompensable due to a gap of less than one inch between the thumb pad and fingers. The appeal for an increased rating remains pending.,More development is needed regarding the Veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus, including whether they are related to his military service.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus was vacated by the Court, necessitating a new examination. The appeal for service connection for PTSD remains pending.,A psychiatric examination is needed to determine if the Veteran has any diagnosed psychiatric disorders and their relationship to service. If PTSD is found, it must be determined whether it is related to an in-service stressor or personal assault.,The claim for TDIU may need further development as it could be affected by the results of the above examinations.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and bilateral tinnitus, finding that there is no evidence of in-service noise exposure or a current disability related to service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is not etiologically related to his active duty service, including exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune. The evidence does not support a finding of service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's left great toe disability has been rated at 10 percent, but the Board found that a higher rating is not warranted based on the evidence of record.,For bilateral hearing loss, the Veteran was assigned Level II and Level III speech recognition scores in each ear, resulting in no compensable rating.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and denied a compensable rating for chloracne including benign skin neoplasms. Bilateral hearing loss is considered established due to in-service noise exposure, while the claim for chloracne was not supported by sufficient evidence of deep acne or disfigurement.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's current condition is not related to his active duty service.,The Board remanded the issue of service connection for Addison's disease, finding that a new VA opinion was needed due to an inadequate previous one.

The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a compensable rating prior to January 29, 2015 and a 20 percent rating thereafter. The issues of service connection for obstructive sleep apnea were remanded.

The Board has remanded the cases due to stale examinations and a failure of the Veteran to appear for scheduled VA examinations. Further medical development is needed.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of bilateral hearing loss as defined by VA regulations, and therefore service connection for this condition is denied.

The Veteran's tinnitus and migraine headaches are granted service connection. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is remanded for further examination.

The Board has remanded the claims for carpal tunnel syndrome of the left and right upper extremities, as well as bilateral hearing loss due to potential issues with the VA examiner's opinions regarding the etiology of these conditions.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate VA examination and insufficient evidence regarding the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss. A new VA examination is needed.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for left ear hearing loss and tinnitus, as well as a claim for TDIU due to unresolved issues regarding their etiology.