Hearing loss decisions — 2021

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure and maintain substantially gainful employment, granting his TDIU claim.

The Veteran's initial noncompensable rating for bilateral hearing loss is denied as his auditory acuity did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating based on the average pure tone thresholds and speech discrimination scores provided in the audiometry reports.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that it is not secondary to his service-connected aplastic anemia and there is no evidence of noise exposure in service. The left ear hearing loss was determined to be a pre-existing condition.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including right hip replacement and lumbosacral strain, render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. The Board grants TDIU effective October 1, 2017.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's hearing problems began many years after his military service and were not related to noise exposure during service.,The Board granted service connection for lumbosacral strain, concluding that it is as likely as not that the Veteran's back disability originated during his military service.

The Veteran's claim for a temporary total rating due to convalescence following surgery is denied. The claim for service connection for hearing loss in the right ear is also denied.

The Board denied service connection for cervical spine/neck disorder, lumbar spine/back disorder, right knee disorder, right ankle disorder, right thumb disorder, and bilateral hearing loss as the appellant did not have a disability during ACDUTRA or INACDUTRA that was aggravated by military service.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's constant tinnitus had its onset during active duty. Service connection for bilateral hearing loss was denied as there is no evidence of a current disability related to military noise exposure.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for his bilateral hearing loss, finding that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD, and bilateral hearing loss are granted as service-connected.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current right ear hearing loss disability for VA purposes, and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has dismissed all claims for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 and entitlement to service connection due to the Veteran's death in early 2021.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's current hearing disability is not related to his active duty due to lack of evidence of a nexus between in-service noise exposure and current hearing loss.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and asthma were denied as there is no current disability meeting the criteria for service connection.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted service connection. The Board has remanded the remaining issues for further development.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating prior to February 16, 2021 and in excess of 10 percent thereafter for bilateral hearing loss has been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support higher ratings based on the criteria provided.

The Veteran's appeals for a compensable rating prior to January 27, 2021 and a higher rating since that date have been dismissed due to the Veteran withdrawing his appeal.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus. The claims for right and left ear hearing loss are remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions due to conflicting medical opinions and missing records. The issues include right ear hearing loss, jungle rot, left foot disability, and vertigo.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is granted as service-connected.,The Veteran's muscle spasms of the legs and feet are remanded for further analysis regarding their relationship to service or secondary to service-connected disabilities.,The Veteran's hypertension, claimed as secondary to service-connected disabilities, is remanded for further analysis.,The Veteran's obesity (claimed as hypothyroidism) is remanded for further analysis regarding its relationship to exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.,The Veteran's GERD is remanded for further analysis regarding its relationship to service-connected disabilities.