Hearing loss decisions — 2021

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has been manifested by hearing acuity of no worse than Level III in the right ear and no worse than Level III in the left ear during the period prior to February 19, 2019. The Board denied a compensable evaluation for this condition.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for an initial disability rating in excess of 20 percent for a lumbar spine disability and TDIU due to service-connected disabilities. The case is being remanded for further development, including obtaining private medical records and providing a retrospective opinion regarding the severity of the Veteran's back disability at the time of the January 2019 VA examination.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, but has remanded the issue of service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to inadequate examination and opinion.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is remanded for further evaluation due to the need for a new VA examination.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability and left ear hearing loss due to potential issues with the examination opinions provided.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral flat feet, and remanded the issues of service connection for bilateral sensorineural hearing loss (BHL) and tinnitus.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is not entitled to an effective date prior to April 28, 2016.,Service connection for hypertension was denied as there is no evidence of its onset in service or within one year of service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right and left ankle and foot disabilities, as well as her bilateral hearing loss disability, are related to service. However, due to insufficient medical evidence linking these conditions to service, a remand is necessary for further examination and opinion.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is causally related to in-service noise exposure and granted service connection for this condition.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss disability, skin condition, hypertension (high blood pressure), and prostate condition due to in-service exposure to herbicide agents. The Veteran is also being asked to provide VA examinations to determine the current severity of his coronary artery disease.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability was rated at 30 percent effective June 29, 2021 based on the most recent VA audiologic examination.

The Board has decided to remand the cases of service connection for low back disability, heart disability, PTSD, and bilateral hearing loss due to lack of a VA examination and need for additional medical opinions.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss as there is no medical link between his current hearing loss and his military service.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and needs further examination. The Veteran's low back disability, bilateral hearing loss, and gastrointestinal disorder are all under review.

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

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus did not prevent him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation prior to April 24, 2014. The Board denied the claim for TDIU on an extraschedular basis.

The Board denied service connection for adenoid removal with a resulting speech condition, bilateral eye condition, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus as the evidence did not support these claims.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been granted.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional development, including obtaining Social Security Administration and VA treatment records.

The Veteran's appeal for an earlier effective date for a 30 percent rating for Meniere's disease with vertigo, tinnitus, and bilateral hearing loss is denied. The earliest recorded expression of intent by the Veteran seeking a higher disability rating was on October 20, 2017.