Hearing loss decisions — 2021

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding no evidence of in-service injury or disease that would support a grant of service connection. The Veteran's current hearing loss is not related to his military service.,Service connection for degenerative disc disease of the neck and back was remanded due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the onset and etiology of these conditions.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were denied as they are not related to service.,Degenerative Disc Disease of the Neck (previously characterized as spondylolysis L-5 on S-1) and Degenerative Disc Disease of the Back were remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding their etiology.

The Veteran's appeal regarding tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss is being remanded due to the need for updated VA examinations.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss has been granted, and he is now entitled to VA benefits for this condition.,The Veteran's TDIU for ischemic heart disease has also been granted, with a combined disability rating of 90 percent.

The Board has decided to remand the claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to errors in obtaining the Veteran's National Guard service treatment records and a need for another medical opinion.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, and TBI are not service-connected as they were not shown to be related to his active duty service.

The Veteran's tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss claims are denied as there is no evidence of a current disability or in-service injury that would support service connection.,The Veteran's right knee condition claim is remanded for further development, including obtaining an addendum opinion from an appropriate clinician regarding whether the Veteran's arthritis is at least as likely as not related to service.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were denied as they are not related to service.,Degenerative Disc Disease of the Neck (previously characterized as spondylolysis L-5 on S-1) and Degenerative Disc Disease of the Back were remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding their etiology.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and sleep apnea secondary to anxiety disorder. The decision found that there was no nexus between the Veteran's current conditions and his military service, specifically noting that the Veteran's hearing loss improved during service and did not manifest within one year of discharge. For sleep apnea, the Board also noted a lack of credible medical evidence supporting a causal relationship with mental health conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, tinnitus, and bilateral hearing loss, do not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation during the period from March 2019 through May 2019.

The Board has found that a remand is necessary to correct a pre-decisional duty-to-assist error by obtaining an adequate VA medical opinion regarding the Veteran's service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been granted. The Board found that the evidence supported a finding of in-service noise exposure, which is sufficient to establish service connection.

The Veteran's service connection claims for ischemic heart disease, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus have been denied as there is no evidence of exposure to herbicides or in-service incurrence.,Service connection for bilateral hearing loss has also been denied due to lack of evidence showing the disability manifested within one year after separation from service.,Service connection for tinnitus was not granted because the Veteran did not report any symptoms related to this condition during service.

The Board has remanded the case due to a need for an addendum opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability, including consideration of the July 1965 audiogram and any shifts in audio results.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been dismissed due to his death during the appeal process.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for service connection of bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to the Veteran's death during the pendency of these appeals.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for loss of taste was denied as the maximum schedular rating (10%) has already been assigned.,The Veteran's hearing loss claim is remanded due to an indication that her hearing loss may have worsened, requiring further evaluation.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type 2, with erectile dysfunction and bilateral upper extremity peripheral neuropathy is currently rated at 20 percent. The Board finds that the evidence does not support a higher rating as there is no indication of regulation of activities by a physician.,The Veteran's coronary artery disease (CAD) is currently rated at 30 percent. The Board finds that the evidence does not support a higher rating as there is no evidence of congestive heart failure, left ventricular dysfunction with an ejection fraction between 30 and 50 percent, or workload less than 3 METs resulting in dyspnea, fatigue, angina, dizziness, or syncope.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and recurrent tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's symptoms are related to in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss is being remanded due to the failure to obtain relevant VA treatment records, specifically an audiogram from August 2018. The rating decision has not yet addressed the full scope of his claims.