Hearing loss decisions — 2021

The Board dismissed the appeal as it is moot due to the appellant's death, and no service connection was granted or denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right ear hearing loss was aggravated during service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there was no evidence of a current disability during or within one year after service and that any current hearing loss is not related to military service.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability was rated at 10 percent prior to January 4, 2021, and at 30 percent since that date. The Board found no evidence warranting higher ratings.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was rated at 0 percent for the period from February 3, 2017 to January 12, 2019 and at 30 percent from January 12, 2019. The Board found that the criteria for increased ratings were not met.

The Veteran's right knee replacement has not resulted in severe painful motion or weakness, which would warrant a higher rating. The Veteran also did not have diminished hearing acuity at a compensable level.,There is no evidence of chronic residuals consisting of severe painful motion or weakness for the right knee replacement, and there is no evidence of MTSS or shin splints for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, a back disability, bilateral hearing loss, and a sinus condition due to lack of VA examinations.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and vertigo due to potential issues with audiometric testing results, conflicting medical opinions, and a need for additional VA treatment records. The claims will be adjudicated again after these matters are addressed.

The Veteran's appeal of service connection for hearing loss was dismissed. Service connection was granted for diabetes mellitus, a bilateral eye disability (diabetic retinopathy and loss of vision), PTSD, peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, thyroid disorder, and sleep disorder.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to discrepancies in audiological evaluations, and additional clarification is needed regarding the Veteran's hearing loss.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that his hearing loss was not incurred during service and is not related to in-service acoustic trauma.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and left ear mixed hearing loss. The Veteran needs a new examination to determine if his current conditions are related to service.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's conditions are at least as likely as not related to his military noise exposure during service.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate development and readjudication is required.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, but the hearing loss claim is remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability has been rated as noncompensable, with a score of 0. The Board found that the evidence did not support a compensable rating.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the schedular requirements for a TDIU rating, and his application is denied.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss and an acquired psychiatric disorder, including persistent depressive disorder to include as due to service-connected ADHD. The remand is required because the VA examiners did not adequately consider the Veteran's lay statements regarding his in-service noise exposure and symptoms.

The Veteran's appeal for a disability rating in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus has been dismissed. The Board also remanded the issue of entitlement to a compensable disability rating for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has restored a 40 percent disability rating for the Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss, effective June 1, 2017, as there is no evidence of an actual improvement in his ability to function under ordinary conditions.