Hearing loss decisions — 2021

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

The Board has remanded the issue of entitlement to a TDIU on an extraschedular basis due to insufficient evidence showing that the Veteran is unemployable by reason of his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and remanded the claims of hypertension and heart condition due to herbicide exposure. The decision on these issues is pending further development.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's right ear hearing loss is related to his service-connected right tympanic membrane perforation.

The Board has remanded the cases for a new VA medical opinion to determine if the appellant's current hearing loss and tinnitus are linked to his in-service noise exposure as a combat engineer.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's claims for service connection for respiratory, musculoskeletal, metabolic disorders, ulcer, and right ear hearing loss. Service connection is granted for hypertension and thyroid disability as secondary to Agent Orange exposure.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for tinnitus is denied as a matter of law, as the maximum schedular evaluation has already been assigned.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss results in no worse than Level II hearing acuity in both ears, which does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating under VA regulations.

The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of entitlement to a higher rating prior to December 5, 2016 and after December 5, 2016.

The Board has granted service connection for sleep apnea and low back strain, but has remanded the issues of service connection for bilateral wrist disability, nasal disability, and initial compensable rating for hypertension. The Veteran's dermatitis case is also being remanded.

The Veteran's left knee disorder is granted as service-connected, with the opinion that it was aggravated by his service-connected right knee disorder. The hearing loss claim remains denied.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient development and need for an addendum opinion regarding the etiology of left ear hearing loss.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for GERD and TDIU prior to November 17, 2020. The Board found that there was no evidence linking the Veteran's GERD to his military service and concluded that he did not meet the schedular requirements for a TDIU due to his nonservice-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and specially adapted housing due to incomplete records and need for further examination. The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not permanently preclude locomotion without the aid of braces, crutches, canes or a wheelchair.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's current hearing loss is related to his military service and specifically noise exposure during his service.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to an inadequate VA examination and a need for further proceedings, including obtaining a new VA examination.

The Veteran's claims for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss, service connection for a cervical spine disability, and ratings for low back IVDS with DJD have been remanded due to inadequate development. The TDIU claim is also remanded.

The Board has determined that the VA examinations provided were inadequate to support a decision on the Veteran's claims for service connection. The issues of bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, lower back condition, left knee condition, and sleep disturbances are being remanded for additional development.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was initially rated as noncompensable, but a rating of 10 percent is granted beginning March 13, 2017.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently rated as noncompensable (0%) due to the presence of Level I hearing acuity in both ears, which does not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation.