Hearing loss decisions — 2021

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for low back injury, neck injury, right ear hearing loss, tinnitus, left elbow disability, and flat feet (pes planus) due to a duty to assist error in obtaining missing service records from Stuttgart, Germany.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral foot disability and left ear hearing loss due to inadequate medical opinions in previous examinations. The Veteran contends that his current conditions are related to service, while VA examiners have found no evidence of such.

The Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to June 19, 2013 for the award of service connection for tinnitus is denied as there was no prior unadjudicated claim. The Veteran is already in receipt of the earliest possible effective date allowed under law.,The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus is denied as he is already receiving the maximum schedular evaluation.

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

The Board has decided to remand the cases for further development and consideration due to incomplete records, inadequate examination, and unclear etiology of bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Board has granted the Veteran's requests to withdraw his appeals for service connection of various disabilities, including skin condition, bilateral ankles, bilateral knees, neck, left ear hearing loss, low back pain, and psychiatric disorder (including PTSD and a personality disorder). The claims for head injury with residual headaches have been remanded.

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

The Board dismissed the appeal due to the appellant's death, and no disability rating or effective date was assigned.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development regarding his claims of service connection for hypertension and entitlement to a TDIU prior to April 17, 2018.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there was no evidence of a current disability during or within one year after service and that any current hearing loss is not related to military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there was no evidence of in-service noise exposure or a pre-existing condition aggravated by service. The Veteran's current hearing loss is not considered to be related to his military service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various disabilities are being remanded due to the need for additional development and examination.,The Veteran's left foot disability is being remanded as there was insufficient consideration of his reported in-service injury and pain.,The Veteran's left ankle disability is being remanded due to inadequate consideration of his reported in-service injury and pain, as well as the lack of a thorough discussion of aggravation by service-connected tinnitus.,The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is being remanded because the examiner did not address whether the current condition was aggravated by an in-service injury or if there was any connection to the Veteran’s symptomatology since service.,The Veteran's dermatological condition (actinic keratosis) is being remanded as the VA examiner did not consider a letter from his treating dermatologist regarding the potential causation of the condition during service.

The Board has granted service connection for left ear hearing loss but denied service connection for right ear hearing loss.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension and remanded the issue of service connection for bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for tinnitus is denied as the maximum schedular rating has been assigned.,The Veteran's claims for effective dates earlier than December 23, 2015, for hearing loss and tinnitus are denied. The effective date of service connection was set at December 23, 2015, when the Veteran requested to reopen his prostate cancer claim.,The Veteran's claims for effective dates earlier than December 23, 2015, for tinnitus and hearing loss are denied as they were not filed prior to that date. The effective date of service connection was set at December 23, 2015, when the Veteran requested to reopen his prostate cancer claim.,The Veteran's claims for an earlier effective date for residuals of prostate cancer with urinary incontinence and erectile dysfunction are denied as there is no evidence that a claim was filed prior to December 23, 2015. The effective date of service connection was set at December 23, 2015.,The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for hearing loss is remanded due to the need for a new VA examination.,The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 60 percent for residuals of prostate cancer is remanded as his symptoms have worsened since the last VA examination.

The Veteran's arthritis of the right-hand distal interphalangeal joints of the 3rd and 4th fingers is granted service connection. The Veteran's hearing loss in the left ear prior to March 18, 2020 is denied an initial compensable rating, but a 10 percent rating for bilateral hearing loss since that date is granted.

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss is granted service connection. Service connection for left shoulder disability and cervical spine disability are denied, while lumbar spine disability and lower left extremity radiculopathy have been assigned a rating of 40%.

The Board has remanded the case for further development regarding service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The decision on service connection for a psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, is denied.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for cervical spine disability, shin splints of the right leg, shin splints of the left leg, bilateral hearing loss, and bilateral tinnitus due to the need for further development.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been reopened, but the Board has determined that further development is needed as to these issues. The Veteran's claim for a bilateral eye or vision disability remains remanded.