Hearing loss decisions — 2021

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding the relationship between the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and his service. The Veteran is requested to provide a new medical opinion addressing this issue.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding no evidence of in-service injury or disease that led to the current disabilities.

The Board has granted service connection for right ear hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that these conditions are related to the Veteran's active service.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate examination and opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss. The examiner should consider in-service noise exposure, lay statements, and the onset of symptoms.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss was found to be at Level II in the right ear and Level IV in the left ear, resulting in a noncompensable disability rating. The Board denied an initial compensable rating for his hearing loss.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 70 percent, and the Board denied a higher rating as his symptoms do not meet the criteria for a 100 percent disability rating.,The Veteran was also denied total disability due to individual unemployability prior to September 10, 2021. The VA determined that despite his PTSD, he could still engage in substantially gainful employment.

The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of compliance with previous remand directives and for another VA examination.

The Veteran's tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss were denied initial disability ratings. The Veteran was granted TDIU on a schedular basis but not on an extraschedular basis prior to February 19, 2014.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a right shoulder disability, bilateral knee disability, and bilateral hearing loss. The claim for service connection for the cause of death was also denied.,Service connection was not granted as the evidence did not establish that any of these conditions were related to military service.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional development and consideration, including obtaining an addendum opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. The issues remain on appeal.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected conditions, including PTSD, diabetes, and related neuropathies, have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. The TDIU claim is granted.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and consideration due to inconsistencies in the medical opinions provided, as well as the need for a new VA examination.

The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate rationale in a previous VA medical opinion regarding the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss. A new VA medical opinion is required to determine if the hearing loss is related to service.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to incomplete VA treatment records and a need for a new hearing loss examination. The Veteran's claim for an increased disability rating remains pending.

The Veteran's claims for a higher rating for bilateral hearing loss and an effective date prior to October 7, 2015 for TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional evidence and examination.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has been rated as noncompensable. The Board remanded the issues of service connection for hypertension and epilepsy, but did not substantially comply with its previous directives.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including dementia, paralysis of the left mandibular nerve, bilateral hearing loss, and multiple cold weather injuries, rendered him unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment from October 31, 2012, on a schedular basis. From March 24, 2010, he was granted TDIU based on his combined disability rating of 70 percent.

The Veteran's claims for asthma, bilateral hearing loss, and dental trauma have been reopened. The Veteran is granted a separate 10 percent rating for residuals of a traumatic brain injury (TBI). An earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for TBI has been granted. Effective September 24, 2013, an earlier effective date for entitlement to total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) has also been granted.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the evidence is at least evenly balanced as to whether these conditions are related to service.,For tinnitus, the Board found it likely not caused by military noise exposure but rather a symptom of his current hearing loss.

The Board has dismissed all claims related to increased ratings for various conditions, including PTSD, shrapnel wounds, and fragment wounds. The appeal was also dismissed regarding the effective date of service connection for PTSD.