Hearing loss decisions — 2021

The Veteran is granted service connection for PTSD, but denied service connection for right ear hearing loss, Meniere's disease, and ear infections due to Meniere's disease.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral hearing loss disability as there is no evidence of a current disability that meets VA compensation criteria.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to procedural deficiencies and the need for additional VA examinations. The issues of PTSD, right knee strain with arthritis, right knee instability, and right ear hearing loss are still pending.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus is granted. The claims for bilateral hearing loss, cervical lordosis, and compression fractures and degenerative changes of the thoracolumbar spine are remanded.

The Veteran's appeal for an increased disability evaluation for tinnitus has been withdrawn.,The claims of service connection for frostbite residuals of the bilateral feet and a dental condition have been reopened due to new and material evidence, but are still denied.,Service connection for bilateral hearing loss is granted based on current evidence showing sensorineural hearing loss.,Other issues such as back condition, TBI, vision loss, cerebellum condition, left leg condition, speech condition, and service connection for a dental condition remain pending.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including left knee, bilateral patellofemoral syndrome, tinnitus, and bilateral hearing loss, have precluded him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation since January 13, 2009. The Board has granted entitlement to TDIU on this basis.

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. Service connection for restless leg syndrome is remanded due to lack of sufficient information.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss was denied for ratings in excess of the current assigned levels.

The Veteran's petition to reopen his claim of service connection for hypertension was granted. The Veteran is now in receipt of a 70 percent rating for PTSD, effective from June 29, 2012, and TDIU from that date until January 28, 2014. Service connection for bilateral hearing loss is also granted.

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

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was rated as 10 percent disabling since September 15, 2018. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on his subjective complaints and functional impact.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and development of his service connection claims, including those related to tinnitus, low back disorder, left hip disorder, bilateral hearing loss, and right thumb disability.

The Board has granted service connection for right ear hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's current condition is etiologically related to in-service noise exposure.

The Board has decided to remand the cases of bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to a duty to assist error.

The Board dismissed the Veteran's appeals for earlier effective dates of July 7, 2017, for the grant of service connection for left ear hearing loss and tinnitus. The appeal for an earlier effective date of July 7, 2017, for the 40% rating for degenerative arthritis and disc disease of the lumbosacral spine was granted with an effective date of July 7, 2017. Appeals for earlier effective dates of October 23, 2017, for service connection for right lower extremity radiculopathy and left lower extremity radiculopathy were also dismissed.

The Veteran's claims for an increased rating for nephropathy and a TDIU are being remanded due to the need for updated VA examinations to assess the current severity of his disabilities.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss as there was no evidence of a current disability at the time of the claim.

The Veteran's cause of death, cardiopulmonary arrest with cerebrovascular accident, is found to be related to his service-connected PTSD. The claim for service connection for cause of death is granted.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are granted as service-connected, with continuity of symptoms since service.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and a compensable disability rating for bilateral hearing loss due to potential issues with obesity caused by PTSD.