Hearing loss decisions — 2021

The Board has remanded the case due to lack of substantial compliance with prior remand directives. The Veteran's service connection claim for bilateral hearing loss is being reviewed again as part of this process.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient examination regarding the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and whether his service-connected tinnitus aggravates it. The Veteran is required to undergo a new VA examination.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are being remanded for further examination as the VA examiner did not consider the Veteran's in-service exposure to noise.,The Veteran's vascular dementia is being remanded for a VA examination to determine if it is related to his presumed service in Vietnam.,The Veteran's left upper extremity carpal tunnel syndrome and right upper extremity carpal tunnel syndrome are being remanded as the VA examiner did not consider the Veteran's exposure to herbicides during service.,The Veteran's left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, and bilateral foot disability (pes planus, arthritis, hammertoes) are being remanded for a VA examination to determine if they are related to his service in Vietnam.,,,

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is granted. Ratings for his right knee and left knee disabilities are also granted, with some issues being denied.

The Board has granted service connection for asthma as secondary to service-connected sinusitis and denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The Veteran's asthma is found to be aggravated by his service-connected sinusitis, while there is no evidence linking the current bilateral hearing loss to service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for gastritis, dysthymia, bilateral hearing loss, and neck disability due to additional development being necessary.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including coronary artery disease and PTSD, prevent him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is granted as service-connected. The claims for diabetes mellitus, erectile dysfunction (ED), heart disease, and peripheral neuropathy are denied.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there is no evidence of a nexus between these conditions and his military service.

The Board has granted service connection for herpes simplex virus 1. Service connection for a left ear disorder (previously characterized as left ear hearing loss) is remanded.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate reliance on a VA opinion regarding delayed onset hearing loss. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is related to service, including acoustic trauma.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD and right chondromalacia patella, did not preclude him from securing or following substantially gainful employment.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient consideration of the Veteran's statements and medical evidence regarding his exposure to noise during service, as well as his use of hearing protection post-service. The claim will be reconsidered with a new VA examination.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's hearing loss condition warrants a remand for further evaluation and consideration of his claim.

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

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not render him unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment prior to November 25, 2019.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete audiogram records from a previous hearing evaluation conducted in February 2013. The Veteran's claims for compensable and higher ratings for bilateral hearing loss are pending.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for coronary artery disease, type II diabetes mellitus, and hypertension due to insufficient evidence regarding in-service herbicide agent exposure. The Veteran is not entitled to an initial compensable rating for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss are currently rated at the minimum (10%) level, as they do not meet criteria for higher ratings under VA rating schedules. The Board found that the current schedular evaluations adequately account for the Veteran's symptoms.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not meet the schedular requirements for a TDIU rating prior to September 18, 2009 and therefore denied his claim.