Hearing loss decisions — 2021

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate medical opinion and needs further development.

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

The Board has granted the reopening of claims for service connection for schizophrenia, a cervical spine disability, a lumbar spine disability, hearing loss, and PTSD. The claim for service connection for gout remains denied.

The Board has remanded the cases of service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and bilateral hearing loss due to insufficient evidence in the record. The Veteran's claims will be reconsidered with additional medical opinions considering all relevant factors, including his exposure during combat.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss but granted service connection for tinnitus.

The Board has remanded the cases for a VA examination to address whether the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his service-connected diabetes mellitus, or if they began during any period of active service.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate rationale in previous opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss. The Veteran served as a photographer and was exposed to noise during service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss and a right ankle disability, finding that the evidence did not support higher ratings under VA rating criteria.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's left ear hearing loss and recurrent tinnitus disabilities. The right ear hearing loss disability is remanded for further development.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including readjudication of the issue of entitlement to extraschedular consideration under 38 C.F.R. § 3.321(b)(1) for service-connected bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has decided to remand the cases of hearing loss and tinnitus for further evaluation due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their relationship to service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unemployable, and his claim for TDIU is denied.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for a psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, has been withdrawn. The Board also dismissed the claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to lack of error in fact or law.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 100% disabling, but the VA determined that this rating was not permanent and total, thus denying Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA) benefits.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus. The issues of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, right knee disability, low back disability, and left ankle disability are remanded.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that the evidence does not show that the Veteran's hearing loss occurred during or was diagnosed within a year of service or is otherwise etiologically related to his service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD, depression, bipolar disorder, and other specified disorder was granted. The claims for bilateral hearing loss, drug abuse, left hip disability, right knee disability, and right foot pes planus were dismissed or remanded as appropriate.

The Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is considered to be related to in-service noise exposure, and the Board has granted service connection for this disability.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus on a presumptive basis due to continuous symptoms since service separation. Service connection is also granted for tinnitus as secondary to the now-service connected bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has determined that the Veteran did not file claims for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss prior to November 22, 2016. Therefore, an effective date prior to this date is denied. The cases of TDIU and reduction of rating are remanded due to need for additional evidence.