Hearing loss decisions — 2021

The Board has remanded the case for a retrospective medical opinion to assess whether the Veteran required regular aid and attendance due to service-connected disabilities other than loss of use of both feet, specifically lung cancer, laryngeal cancer, lymphoma, diabetes, retinopathy, hearing loss, and tinea cruris.

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

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, while limiting his employment opportunities, do not meet the criteria for a TDIU as they are less than total in severity and he has other employable skills.

The Board has decided to remand the cases of bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to incomplete records, specifically missing annual occupational hearing conservation test results from the Veteran's post-service work. The VA will attempt to obtain these records and provide a new opinion on whether the Veteran's hearing loss is related to his active duty service.

The Board has directed that VA audiometric reports and audiograms from specific dates be requested. These records have not been provided, and the Board is remanding the case to obtain these records.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss from January 18, 2018 to July 13, 2020 was denied as the evidence did not show that his disability warranted a higher rating.

Service connection for right ear hearing loss and lumbar spine disability has been granted.,The Veteran's service-connected left leg gunshot wound residuals are contributing to his current back pain, which is causing him discomfort.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and readjudication, including scheduling a VA examination to assess the severity of the Veteran's bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral sensorineural hearing loss, diabetic nephropathy, and hypertension due to a lack of proper translation of records and need for further examination.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected PTSD, but denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left ear hearing loss is related to service, and therefore grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's current disability is related to his in-service noise exposure.

The Board has granted the Veteran's request to reopen his claim for service connection of right ear hearing loss, but denied the claim itself due to lack of a current disability meeting VA criteria.

The Board has remanded the case for a VA examination to determine if the Veteran's low back disability is related to his active duty service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there was no medical link between his current hearing loss and his military service.

The Board has decided that the appellant's claim for veteran status is remanded due to a duty to assist error. The claim will be reconsidered with an adequate VA examination on his bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current hearing loss disability and his military service.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were denied effective from May 25, 2013. The Board found that the September 1972 rating decision did not contain CUE with respect to either condition.,The Veteran argued that VA should have inferred a claim of tinnitus in his May 1972 hearing loss claim and that he had a duty to investigate all forms of ear disability affecting the body part or system described. The Board found no evidence of CUE.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for right ear hearing loss, left ear hearing loss, tinnitus, a back disorder, and migraine headaches are all remanded due to duty-to-assist errors.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied as there was no evidence of a current disability, and the preponderance of the evidence does not support a nexus between his in-service noise exposure and his current condition. The claim for service connection for tinnitus is granted as the Veteran has reported having constant bilateral tinnitus since 1975, which he contends is related to service noise exposure.