Hearing loss decisions — 2021

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, right knee condition, and heart disease due to inadequate opinions from previous VA examiners. The Veteran is not entitled to service connection for these conditions as there is no evidence that they are related to his military service.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss was rated at 0 percent, as the average puretone threshold did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to an inadequate VA medical opinion and failure to address the Veteran's lay statements regarding her hearing loss onset.

The Veteran's hearing loss has been restored to a 30 percent disability rating effective September 1, 2018. A higher rating for his bilateral hearing loss is denied.

The appeal seeking service connection for left ear hearing loss, tinnitus, and a compensable rating for right ear hearing loss is dismissed due to the Veteran's death before a decision was made.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus but denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's hiatal hernia with GERD and chest pain is rated at 10% since the beginning of the appeal period, and his bilateral hearing loss is rated at 20% for the entire appeal period.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical evidence regarding the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss. The Veteran will need to provide his service medical records and a VA examination is recommended.

The Board dismissed the appeal due to the Veteran's death, as the claim has become moot.

The Board has decided to remand the cases of peripheral neuropathy and bilateral hearing loss due to insufficient nexus opinions provided by the VA examiners. The Veteran's claims for these conditions are now pending again.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for a low back disability and a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss due to incomplete development. The Veteran's low back disability may be related to his military service, but further examination is needed.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for right shoulder disability, right knee disorder, hypertension, and left ear hearing loss due to incomplete records and need for medical opinions.

The Veteran's increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss and ischemic heart disease prior to April 30, 2013 or after December 23, 2019 are denied.

The Board has identified new evidence and is remanding the case for readjudication by the RO in light of this additional information.

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

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is related to his active service, including as secondary to his service-connected tinnitus. A new VA examination is needed to address these issues.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there was no evidence of a current disability and that any hearing loss is more likely due to natural aging rather than noise exposure in service.

The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss is being remanded due to the need for additional development regarding his employment status.

The Board has denied service connection for a back disability and remanded the issues of entitlement to increased ratings for right knee Osgood-Schlatter disease and left ear hearing loss. The Veteran's claim for new and material evidence to reopen his previously denied right ear hearing loss is also remanded.,VA records show audiograms from Group Health performed in July 2016 and August 2016, which are part of the claims file but not yet reviewed. These records need to be obtained and considered.

The Veteran's appeal for a total disability based on individual unemployability prior to June 27, 2018 is remanded due to changes in his service-connected conditions and the need for additional evidence regarding his ability to work.