Hearing loss decisions — 2021

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is likely due to noise exposure during his military service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has granted service connection for left ear hearing loss and remanded the issues of right shoulder condition and left wrist condition.

The Veteran's appeals for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to insufficient evidence in the September 2020 VA examination report.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss and has remanded the issue of entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Board denied a TDIU on an extraschedular basis as the Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not meet the schedular thresholds for a TDIU, and there was no evidence of unemployability due to his service-connected conditions.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there is no evidence of a nexus between these conditions and his military service.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability has been rated as noncompensable, and the Board denied an initial compensable rating. The issue of service connection for a right knee disorder is remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding its secondary nature.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining audiogram results and requesting the Veteran to complete VA Form 21-8940.

The Board has found that the Veteran has shown good cause for missing VA examinations related to his service connection claims. The Board has therefore ordered new VA examinations to determine if any of the claimed conditions are related to his military service.

The Veteran's appeal is dismissed due to his death. The claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and PTSD have become moot as the Veteran died during the pendency of the appeal.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has been rated as noncompensable, with the highest level of impairment being Level I in both ears.,The VA examiner found no relationship between the Veteran’s hypertension and his active service or any other condition. The Board is remanding for a new examination to address these issues.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeals for all issues related to left knee instability, left knee degenerative arthritis, and bilateral hearing loss. He is satisfied with the current ratings assigned.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability, finding that it is at least as likely as not related to in-service noise exposure.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and medical nexus opinions. The Veteran's claims of service connection for PTSD, a skin disability, and a respiratory disability are pending.

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

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and hyperacusis due to a lack of consideration of all pertinent evidence in the September 2018 opinions. The Veteran is requested to provide updated medical records and an examination is needed to determine the nature and etiology of his neck disability.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection for a right eye condition, peripheral neuropathy of bilateral lower extremities, and bilateral hearing loss are not resolved in his favor due to insufficient evidence. The claims are being remanded for further development.

The Board has remanded the issue of service connection for right ear hearing loss disability due to uncertainty in the VA examiner's opinion regarding its etiology. The Veteran was exposed to noise during service, but the examiner found no positive nexus between his current right ear hearing loss and this exposure.

The Board denied a compensable rating for the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability, finding that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating based on the audiometric test results.