Hearing loss decisions — 2021

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

The Board has vacated the denial of service connection for tinnitus and remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss, COPD, skin cancer, a back disability, and a heart disability. The Veteran's testimony at his September 2021 hearing provided evidence in support of these claims.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied as there is no evidence of a current disability that began during or is related to his military service.,The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for vertigo is also denied, as the preponderance of the evidence does not support finding that his condition warrants such a higher rating.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are related to his active duty service.

The Veteran's initial ratings for degenerative disc disease of the thoracolumbar spine and hearing loss of the left ear were denied. The case is remanded to schedule new examinations for both conditions.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for left ear hearing loss is remanded due to the inadequacy of the VA examination conducted in April 2021. A new VA audiological examination is needed.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is rated as Level I in the right ear and Level IX in the left ear, resulting in a non-compensable rating. The Board finds that the schedular criteria for this disability are met.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, sleep impairment, right knee impairment, and left knee impairment have been granted. A rating of 10 percent has been assigned for right-side facial sensory loss and numbness.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and right knee disability have been granted service connection. The right knee disability has also been granted a higher evaluation from March 1, 2012.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that the evidence did not support a link between current hearing impairment and military noise exposure.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for a VA examination to determine the current severity of his service-connected depressive disorder. The TDIU claim has been granted, but the rating for depressive disorder remains unresolved.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable disability rating for bilateral hearing loss is denied, and his claim for service connection for sleep apnea is remanded.

The Board has remanded the claim for service connection for a bilateral hearing loss disability due to an inadequate VA medical opinion. The Veteran contends that his hearing loss is related to in-service noise exposure, but the VA examiner found no significant threshold shifts and concluded that the Veteran's hearing loss was less likely caused by service.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss and bilateral plantar fasciitis due to new evidence received since the last final decision. The Veteran's service connection claim for bilateral hearing loss is pending, but his evaluation for bilateral plantar fasciitis was denied by the Court.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher evaluation for his traumatic bifrontal headaches with residual scar was denied, and the Board found that he did not meet the criteria for a rating in excess of 30 percent. The case is remanded for further examination to determine if service connection can be established for bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a back disability, tinnitus, and hearing loss has been remanded due to the need for additional development.

The Board has determined that the effective dates for the grants of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and hemorrhoids should be January 16, 2014. The Veteran's claims for allergies, right knee disorder, and left knee disorder are remanded for further development.

The rating reduction from 30 percent to 10 percent for bilateral hearing loss was improper, and the 30 percent rating is restored. The Board finds that remand is required to obtain adequate VA opinions regarding the Veteran's left ankle and left knee conditions.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is currently rated as noncompensable, with a numeric designation of Level II in both ears. The Board found that the evidence did not warrant a compensable rating.

The Board has ordered a remand to obtain missing service records from the appellant's Texas Army National Guard service, as no attempts have been made to contact the Adjutant General of Texas.