Hearing loss decisions — 2021

The Veteran's neck disability, left arm disability, right arm disability, left leg disability, and right leg disability are all related to his military service. The VA has remanded these issues for further development.,Service connection is being remanded for the Veteran's neck disability, LUE PN, RUE PN, LLE PN, and RLE PN as they may be connected to his MOS and exposure to Benzene.

The Veteran's claims for ischemic heart disease, inguinal hernia, and bilateral hearing loss have been denied as there is no evidence of a nexus between these conditions and his service.,Service connection was not granted because the Veteran did not provide sufficient medical evidence to support his assertions that his current conditions are related to his military service.

The Board dismissed the appeal of service connection for right and left wrist disorders. The Veteran's claim for service connection for left ear hearing loss was granted.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to inadequate rationale in the VA examination opinion. The examiner is requested to provide an addendum opinion regarding whether the current conditions are at least as likely as not related to noise exposure during service.

The Board found that the Veteran's preexisting bilateral hearing loss did not worsen during service, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for left shoulder tendinopathy and partial thickness tear of the supraspinatus and biceps tendons with superior labral tear is granted. The other claims are remanded.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is not related to his active duty service and therefore denied the claim for service connection.

The Veteran's hypertension, chronic kidney disease, and chronic headache disability are granted as service-connected due to in-service herbicide exposure.,Bladder cancer is denied as there is no evidence of the condition during or within one year after separation from active service. Peripheral neuropathy is also denied based on lack of evidence of onset during service or within a year post-separation.

Your appeals for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been dismissed as you withdrew your appeal.

The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The evidence is in equipoise regarding whether the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is related to his service-connected PTSD.

The Board has remanded the case for an addendum opinion regarding whether the Veteran's alcohol use disorder and cannabis use disorder were aggravated by his service-connected residuals of prostate cancer. The claims for coronary artery disease and bilateral hearing loss remain denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to duty-to-assist errors in prior decisions.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are granted as service-connected. The Board found that the Veteran's current hearing loss is due to her active-duty service, while her tinnitus is secondary to her service-connected hearing loss.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are due to his in-service noise exposure, resolving all reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Veteran's claims for a compensable evaluation for bilateral hearing loss and an increased evaluation in excess of 30 percent for PTSD are remanded due to scheduling errors during the initial decision process.

The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea as secondary to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The evidence is in equipoise regarding whether the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is related to his service-connected PTSD.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is related to service, and therefore grants the claim for service connection.

The Board has decided to remand the cases of bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus due to a duty-to-assist error in the January 2018 VA examination, which did not consider the Veteran's lay statements about noise exposure during service.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus as there is no evidence of in-service injury or disease, and the current conditions are not related to military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are due to his in-service noise exposure, resolving all reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.