Hearing loss decisions — 2021

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the schedular criteria for a TDIU rating. However, there is evidence suggesting he may be unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation due to his service-connected disabilities, warranting referral for extraschedular consideration.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's tinnitus is service-connected, but has remanded his claim for bilateral hearing loss due to in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss has been rated as noncompensable, and the Board finds that a compensable rating is not warranted based on the evidence of record.

The Board denied service connection for right ear hearing loss as there is no current disability meeting VA criteria and the Veteran did not have a compensable degree of hearing loss within one year after discharge.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is currently rated at 10 percent, and the Board finds that it does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.,For kidney disease, skin disability, rhinitis, and acute pharyngitis, service connection has been remanded as there are insufficient opinions provided regarding their etiology.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for eustachian tube dysfunction, claimed as vertigo, is dismissed. The Board found that the issue was already resolved in a previous rating decision and no longer remains in controversy.

The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss has been denied as his current hearing loss is noncompensable.,Service connection for a sleep disorder, including sleep apnea, was denied due to the lack of evidence supporting the presence of such a condition.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are at least as likely as not related to his military service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, vertigo, and BPH have been denied. The Board found no evidence of a balance disorder or prostate condition during active duty, and the conditions were not shown to be related to service or herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is rated as zero percent disabling, which is the lowest possible rating. The Board found that his hearing acuity did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under the applicable VA rating schedule.

The Veteran's claim for bilateral hearing loss was denied. The Veteran received a 70% evaluation for service-connected depression, effective October 24, 2018. Claims for secondary service connection for neck disorder and upper back disorder were remanded, as well as claims for low back disorder.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, right knee disability, left foot disability, and right foot disability. The lumbar spine disability was granted a 20% rating but not in excess of that.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss as the Veteran does not have a current disability of bilateral hearing loss for VA purposes.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for left ear hearing loss, finding that there was no evidence of a current disability and that the preponderance of the evidence did not support a link between his in-service noise exposure and his current condition.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for an effective date earlier than March 5, 2018 for the grant of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. The effective dates were assigned as the date the claims were received or the date entitlement arose, whichever is later.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection on the issues of appendix removal, gall bladder removal, vision disorder, body sweats, hearing loss, Meniere’s disease, tinnitus, colon cancer (also claimed as partial colon/intestinal removal), testicular cancer and removal, Barrett's esophagus, right foot peripheral neuropathy, left foot peripheral neuropathy, right hand peripheral neuropathy, left hand peripheral neuropathy, chronic fatigue syndrome, right knee disability, left knee disability, hepatitis C, malaise, neck surgery broken vertebra, sleep apnea, irritable bowel syndrome, subcutaneous cell carcinoma, and an acquired psychiatric disorder have been withdrawn. The remaining issues of service connection for hearing loss, Meniere’s disease, and tinnitus are REMANDED.

The Veteran's service-connected hearing loss has been evaluated as noncompensable, with the Board finding that his hearing acuity did not warrant a compensable rating.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for TDIU due to service-connected disabilities, finding that there was no evidence showing he could not secure and follow substantially gainful employment prior to February 11, 2004.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for service-connected bilateral hearing loss and major depressive disorder are being remanded due to the need for additional VA and private treatment records, as well as new examinations.

The Veteran's left ear hearing loss is currently rated as noncompensable. The Board has remanded the case for further development, including referral to the Director of Compensation and Pension for extraschedular consideration regarding TDIU.