Hearing loss decisions — 2021

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

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there is at least an even balance of evidence to support a finding that his current hearing loss is related to in-service noise exposure.

The Board has dismissed the claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss as it was granted in a July 2020 rating decision.

The Veteran is granted a TDIU from May 24, 2017. The issue of entitlement to a TDIU prior to May 24, 2017, is remanded for further adjudication by the Director of Compensation and Pension Service.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and whether his pre-existing right ear hearing loss was aggravated by service.

The Board denied service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, finding that there was no evidence linking ischemic heart disease to his active duty service or presumed exposure to herbicides. The Board also found that other conditions listed did not contribute to his death.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and earlier effective dates for hearing loss and tinnitus, as well as service connection claims for hypothyroidism, GERD, a low back disability, left and right elbow degenerative joint disease, gout (claimed as bilateral foot disability), COPD, kidney, and prostate disabilities. The Board has also dismissed the Veteran's appeals of these issues due to his withdrawal of them.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional development to obtain missing VA and private treatment records related to the Veteran's hearing loss, low back disability, and left shoulder strain.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence to reopen the claim of entitlement to service connection for a respiratory disorder has not been received. The Veteran's tinnitus is assigned a 10 percent rating, which is the maximum schedular rating authorized under Diagnostic Code 6260. The claims for increased ratings for PTSD with anxiety and insomnia (acquired psychiatric disorder), bilateral metatarsalgia (foot disorder), and bilateral hearing loss are remanded due to the need for new VA examinations. The claim for service connection for hepatitis C is also remanded.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for a new VA examination to assess the severity of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's claims for effective dates prior to July 22, 2015 for the grant of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are denied. The Board found that there was no evidence of an earlier claim or intent to file a claim.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is rated at 70 percent prior to December 23, 2020 and he was granted individual unemployability from September 17, 2010. The Board denied both claims.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinion and other procedural issues. The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is now pending again.

The Board has remanded the cases due to insufficient consideration of additional VA-developed medical evidence, including a January 2020 VA mental health examination and other examinations related to various disabilities. The Veteran and his representative will be provided with an opportunity to respond to this medical evidence.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to a lack of evidence linking these conditions to the Veteran's military service.

The Veteran's hearing loss disability is being remanded for a new VA examination to determine the current severity of his service-connected bilateral hearing loss, and clarification on whether the May 2017 audiometric test used the Maryland CNC speech discrimination test.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate medical opinion and lack of substantial compliance with previous remands. The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is being reviewed again.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is related to his in-service noise exposure, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's claims of increased evaluation for degenerative arthritis, compensation for bilateral hearing loss, and service connection for PTSD and traumatic brain injury are all remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and records.

Service connection for bilateral hearing loss, diabetes mellitus type II (due to herbicide exposure), and hypertension is denied. The Veteran's hepatitis C and cirrhosis of liver are remanded for further development.,Service connection for diabetes mellitus type II and hypertension is denied. Service connection for hepatitis C and cirrhosis of liver (secondary to hepatitis C) is also remanded.