Hearing loss decisions — 2021

The Veteran's TDIU claim is granted effective June 9, 2014. The PTSD rating is remanded due to the need for a new examination.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service connection claims, including sleep apnea, ischemic heart disease, prostate cancer, diabetes mellitus type II, hypertension, and TDIU. The remand is due to incomplete compliance with prior directives and the need for further VA medical opinions.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for tinnitus, hearing loss, and a chronic sinus condition due to inadequate medical opinions regarding the etiology of these conditions. The Appellant is requested to provide new medical opinions on whether his current conditions are related to his military service.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus but remanded the issue of service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's left ear hearing loss is related to in-service noise exposure and service connection for this condition is granted.,The Veteran's PTSD does not meet the criteria for a disability rating greater than 70 percent, as he has not exhibited total social impairment.,Service connection for type II diabetes mellitus is remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for adjustment disorder, bilateral hearing loss, right and left ankle strains, and OSA have been granted. The Board found that the evidence is at least evenly balanced as to whether these conditions are related to service.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current disabilities are related to his in-service noise exposure.

The Board has remanded several claims for further development, including those related to right knee instability, left knee instability, bilateral hearing loss disability, lumbar spine disability, left hip limitation of flexion, left hip degenerative arthritis with residuals of left femur fracture, right knee meniscal tear with arthritis, residuals of a left knee injury with arthritis, and hemorrhoids.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss as there was no valid diagnosis of a current disability.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are granted as service-connected.,A higher rating of 20 percent for type II diabetes mellitus is granted from November 19, 2018 onwards.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient consideration of the Veteran's lay statements regarding in-service noise exposure and his current tinnitus.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate opinions regarding the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and its relationship to service. The case will be returned for further examination and opinion.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development, including obtaining VA treatment records and seeking non-VA medical records. The issues of increased rating for bilateral hearing loss after December 2012 and TDIU are now pending.

The Veteran's left ear hearing loss is service connected as it resulted from a head injury in 1991 that was caused by his PTSD symptoms.

The Veteran's full-time employment status means he is not eligible for a TDIU, as his service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from securing or following substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's claims for an earlier effective date and increased rating for tinnitus, as well as his claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss are denied. The Board has also remanded the issues of service connection for a respiratory disability and chest boils due to presumed exposure to herbicide agents in Vietnam.,The Veteran's TDIU claim is also remanded because it may be significantly impacted by the outcome of his other claims, particularly those concerning his hearing loss and respiratory disabilities.

The Veteran's hearing loss has been rated as noncompensable throughout the appeal period, and a higher rating is denied.

The Veteran's heart disease is granted as secondary to service-connected hypertension and PTSD. The claim for hearing loss of the right ear was reopened, but denied due to lack of current disability. Ratings for left ear hearing loss and lower extremity muscle conditions are remanded.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is etiologically related to his active service, and therefore grants entitlement to service connection for this condition.

The Board has granted service connection for right ear hearing loss but denied service connection for left ear hearing loss. The right ear hearing loss is considered related to noise exposure during active service.