Hearing loss decisions — 2021

The Board denied service connection for tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, and a cardiovascular disorder, including a heart murmur. The evidence did not support the Veteran's claims that these conditions were related to her time in military service.,Service records showed no complaints or diagnoses of hearing loss or tinnitus during active duty. Her STRs also did not indicate any abnormal heart disorders.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and remanded the case for further development regarding an increased rating for anxiety disorder.

The Veteran's initial claim for a compensable rating for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss is remanded due to the need for a new VA audiological examination.

The Veteran's appeal of an earlier effective date for hearing loss was withdrawn. Service connection is granted for tinnitus, persistent depressive disorder, and OSA as secondary to persistent depressive disorder.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss is currently rated as noncompensable, and the Board finds that a compensable rating is not warranted based on the audiometric test results provided throughout the appeal period.

The Board has decided that more evidence is needed to determine if the Veteran's left ear hearing loss was evaluated using a specific test during an August 2015 audiological evaluation. The decision also notes that there may be outstanding VA treatment records related to the issue and requests their retrieval.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been granted as service connection is established on a direct basis.,No new evidence was provided to reopen the claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, and thus no changes were made in their denial.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied as he does not have a current disability.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for an eye condition, to include as secondary to diabetes mellitus, and for a cervical spine condition are remanded. The issue of service connection for migraine headaches (secondary to the cervical spine condition) is also remanded.,Service connection for migraine headaches will be held in abeyance pending resolution of the other issues.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for right ear hearing loss, left ear hearing loss, and tinnitus have been remanded. The claim for increased rating of PTSD remains pending.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is presumed to have been incurred in service due to noise exposure during his military service.

The Veteran's left ear hearing loss is granted service connection, and his depressive disorder is granted a 30 percent disability rating.

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

The Board has remanded the case due to a need for additional medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is related to his in-service head injury, which may affect service connection.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service connection claims due to incomplete development and inadequate medical opinions. The issues include PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, headaches, lumbar spine disability, left foot disability, right foot disability, left ankle disability, right ankle disability, left knee disability, and right knee disability.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has been consistently rated at Level II, resulting in no compensable rating. The Board found the July 2011 and February 2019 audiograms to be significant anomalies that do not accurately reflect the severity of his disability.

The Veteran's claim for higher levels of SMC is granted on an accrued benefits basis due to his service-connected disabilities, including Parkinson's disease and coronary artery disease.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for all service connection claims, including those related to shrapnel wounds, hearing loss, tinnitus, sinus conditions, sleep apnea, neurobehavioral effects, PTSD, and peripheral neuropathy. The cases are dismissed.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left ear hearing loss and an increased rating for coronary artery disease (CAD), finding that the evidence did not support a causal relationship between his current disabilities and his military service.

The Veteran's hypertension, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus have been granted service connection. The hypertension case is remanded for additional clarification.,Service connection has also been established for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient consideration of the Veteran's lay testimony and medical opinions regarding his in-service noise exposure. The matter is now pending for further proceedings.