Hearing loss decisions — 2021

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is a current disability and was caused by noise exposure during service, meeting the criteria for direct service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a bilateral hearing loss disability for VA purposes and therefore, service connection for this condition is denied.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's hearing loss was not present in service or within a year of separation from service and is not etiologically related to his active duty service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are granted for left ear hearing loss, headaches secondary to PTSD, GERD with Barrett's esophagus, and a deviated septum. The claim for right ear hearing loss is denied. Service connection is also granted for a left shoulder disability and asthma. Other issues remain pending.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him incapable of securing or following a substantially gainful occupation, and the criteria for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due exclusively to the service-connected bilateral hearing loss are not met.

The Board has granted entitlement to service connection for left ear hearing loss disability but denied it for right ear hearing loss disability.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied, and the effective date of TDIU was granted on December 14, 2010.

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 70 percent for unspecified depressive disorder was denied, and his claim for TDIU based on service-connected disabilities was granted.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's current hearing impairment is at least as likely as not caused by an in-service explosion during basic training.,Service connection was denied for erectile dysfunction (ED), myelitis of the cervical spine, and rheumatic myalgia. The Board found no evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate examinations and a need for clarification on the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss.

Effective April 22, 2016, the Veteran is granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is etiologically related to his military service and grants entitlement to service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's initial claim for an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied as his audiometric results did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.

The Veteran's inguinal hernia was granted service connection, while his claims for myeloma and other conditions were denied.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for service connection for a sinus condition and for a higher disability rating for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss as secondary to his service-connected ankylosing spondylitis, resolving reasonable doubt in favor of the claim.

The Board denied a compensable rating for service-connected bilateral hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's symptoms are adequately contemplated by the rating schedule and do not warrant extraschedular considerations.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for left and right ear hearing loss due to a lack of sufficient medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's hearing loss.

The Board denied compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for various conditions, including hypopituitarism, brain damage, an endocrine disorder, erectile dysfunction (ED), water retention, and hypertension, caused by radiation therapy from July to August 1997 at the Hines VA Medical Center.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to the need for additional VA and non-VA treatment records, as well as a VA examination to assess the current severity of his service-connected disabilities.