Hearing loss decisions — 2021

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied as he does not have a current diagnosis of bilateral hearing loss.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus is denied as the evidence does not show that his tinnitus began in service or is due to service.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the right upper extremity and left upper extremity is remanded as further testing is needed to determine if it is related to diabetes mellitus.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability (including PTSD and mild cognitive impairment) is granted as new evidence has been added, but a VA addendum opinion is needed to determine if the condition is aggravated by diabetes mellitus.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that his current condition is related to noise exposure during his military service.

The Board has remanded the claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability due to in-service noise exposure. The Veteran's representative provided medical literature supporting his argument, but the VA medical opinions did not adequately address whether presbycusis is a more likely cause of the Veteran’s hearing loss.

The case is being remanded to obtain records from UT Southwestern Medical Center related to a March 2020 audio examination conducted by Dr. J.K.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral sensorineural hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are related to his military noise exposure during service.

The Board has dismissed the appeal as the Veteran died during the pendency of the appeal and thus, the Board does not have jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits of the service connection claims.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions rendered him unable to secure or maintain any substantially gainful occupation beginning April 18, 2020.

The appeal for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is dismissed because the Veteran did not file a timely substantive appeal.

The Board has granted service connection for right ear hearing loss, hypertension, and persistent depressive disorder due to presumed exposure to Agent Orange during service. The evidence is at least evenly balanced as to whether these conditions are related to service.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied as his degree of hearing impairment did not meet the standards required for such an evaluation.

The Board has granted service connection for hearing loss in the right ear, finding that it is at least as likely as not incurred during military service due to noise exposure.

The Board has remanded the claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to inadequate medical opinion and failure to address the Veteran's lay statements regarding noise exposure in service.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss is being remanded due to the need for additional audiometric results.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss from October 4, 2011 to October 6, 2020, and a rating in excess of 10 percent thereafter is denied. The Board has also remanded the issue of service connection for a skin condition due to possible exposure to various chemical exposures during service.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's hearing loss, including missing service treatment records and a recent VA examination. The Veteran is requested to provide additional information or undergo further testing.

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

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, diabetes mellitus, skin cancer, hypertension, and residuals of a stroke due to missing service treatment records. The Veteran's statements regarding observable symptoms and his wife’s reports after discharge from service are considered in assessing these conditions.

The Board has dismissed all claims of service connection and initial rating for the Veteran's disabilities due to his death.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss should be remanded to allow for further evaluation and consideration of his case.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals regarding the service connection for right hand injury, right ear injury/hearing loss, and frontal lobe injury.