Hearing loss decisions — 2021

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for lumbosacral spine degenerative disc disease and bilateral hearing loss due to incomplete records. The VA is instructed to obtain all relevant treatment records from private healthcare providers, including T. Macey, M.D., and L. Ettinger, M.D.

The Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to service, as there is no evidence of these conditions during or within one year after service separation.,For the mental disability, the Board found that the current level of impairment does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been reopened due to the submission of new and material evidence. However, both issues are still pending as they were remanded by the Board.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have prevented him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation since April 29, 2015. The Board has granted TDIU for the periods from April 29, 2015 to June 9, 2016 and from August 1, 2018 to May 20, 2021.

The Board denied the Veteran's request for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the claims were abandoned due to the Veteran not following up with a formal application within one year of submitting an informal claim. The effective date is set at November 5, 2020.

The Veteran's claims for service connection of various conditions have been denied. The Board found no evidence to support a finding that any of these conditions were incurred or aggravated by military service.

The Veteran's claims for an increased rating for lumbosacral strain and service connection for hearing loss are being remanded due to incomplete examinations. The Veteran will need new evaluations to determine the severity of his lumbosacral strain and whether his current hearing loss is related to his active service.

The Board denied the Veteran's request for an earlier effective date for a 40 percent rating for bilateral hearing loss, finding that it had not become factually ascertainable that his hearing loss increased in severity to warrant such a rating prior to February 16, 2021.

The Board has remanded the claim for an adequate VA medical opinion to determine if the Veteran's varicose veins are aggravated by his service-connected Meniere's syndrome with bilateral hearing loss, vertigo and tinnitus.

The Board has remanded the claim for an adequate VA medical opinion to determine if the Veteran's varicose veins are aggravated by his service-connected Meniere's syndrome with bilateral hearing loss, vertigo and tinnitus.

The Veteran's claim for bilateral hearing loss was reopened due to the submission of relevant new evidence, and service connection is granted.,The Veteran's claims for respiratory disability (COPD) and cervical spine disability were also reopened due to the submission of relevant new evidence, and service connection is granted.

The Board has readjudicated the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, respiratory disability to include COPD, and cervical spine disability due to new and relevant evidence submitted after previous denials. The claim is granted in part.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, left knee condition, and right knee condition were previously denied. New evidence has not been received to readjudicate these issues.,The Veteran's claim for diabetes mellitus was also remanded due to the need to corroborate his assertions of Vietnam exposure.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is etiologically related to his active service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is etiologically related to his active service, and therefore grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has remanded the claims for left ear hearing loss, tinnitus, and bilateral pes planus due to unclear service connection periods. The Veteran's right ear hearing loss is rated as noncompensable.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and coronary artery disease were denied. The Board found no new and relevant evidence to reopen the claim of bilateral hearing loss, as it did not meet the criteria for presumptive exposure to herbicides or Agent Orange. For coronary artery disease, there was no in-service diagnosis or identification, and the Veteran's service treatment records do not indicate any manifestation of the condition within one year of separation.

The Veteran's service connection claims for hypothyroidism, bilateral athlete's foot condition, and bilateral hearing loss are remanded due to inadequate medical opinions.

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 active duty service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is etiologically related to his active service, and therefore grants service connection for this condition.