Hearing loss decisions — 2021

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional medical records and an opinion regarding whether the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is related to service, including noise exposure from helicopters as a mechanic.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's conditions are due to his military service.

The Board has granted service connection for a skin disorder of the feet and increased the rating for bilateral hearing loss disability to 30 percent, effective November 18, 2020. The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date was not addressed.

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to his death, and the Board has no jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits of the case.

The Board has remanded the claim for service connection for right ear hearing loss due to a lack of adequate discussion regarding contradictory or qualifying aspects of an Institute of Medicine (IOM) report, and whether the examination report is adequate given the Court's decision in McCray v. Wilkie.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and remanded the claim of service connection for a low back disorder, to include spondylolisthesis. The case is now being returned to the AOJ for further review.

The Board denied the Veteran's appeal regarding the timeliness of his July 2017 Notice of Disagreement (NOD) for the December 2012 rating decision granting service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The effective date was assigned based on when the claim was received, not when the disability arose.

The Veteran's claims for higher ratings for his bilateral hearing loss disability are being remanded due to the need for additional records and an addendum opinion regarding potential memory problems related to his hearing loss.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining a new VA opinion on the etiology of the Veteran's right ear hearing loss. The initial compensable rating for left ear hearing loss remains denied.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal of the issues related to bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, so these cases are dismissed.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for service connection for right foot pes planus, left foot pes planus, bilateral hearing loss disability, and left knee disability before the Board could make a final decision.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to potential inadequacies in the medical opinions provided.

The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate VA examination and failure to provide adequate statement of reasons or bases for denying service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The Veteran should be afforded a new VA examination and medical opinion.

The Board denied service connection for a low back disability, bilateral hearing loss, hypertension, and peptic ulcer disease. The Veteran's low back disability was not related to an in-service injury or disease. His bilateral hearing loss was not secondary to his service-connected disabilities and was not otherwise related to an in-service injury or disease. His hypertension was not secondary to a service-connected disability and was not otherwise related to an in-service injury or disease, including exposure to herbicide agents.,The Veteran's peptic ulcer disease was also denied as it was not secondary to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss as the Veteran does not have a current hearing loss disability in either ear, and therefore cannot establish a claim.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently rated at 20 percent from November 14, 2016 to October 19, 2020. The Board has granted this rating and denied any evaluation in excess of 20 percent for the period after October 19, 2020.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for angina is granted. The claim for service connection for a disability manifested by vision loss, an acquired psychiatric disability (to include depression), and bilateral hearing loss are all remanded. Service connection for a low back disability is also remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to lack of substantial compliance with previous remands. The VA examiners did not address the Veteran's contentions regarding his exposure to a foghorn during service, leading to further examination.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss is denied. Prior to November 2, 2020, the Veteran was rated noncompensable. As of November 2, 2020, he was granted a 40 percent disability rating.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is related to his military service, but his bilateral hearing loss does not meet the criteria for service connection.