Hearing loss decisions — 2021

The Veteran's daughter does not meet the criteria for benefits under 38 U.S.C. § 1805 or § 1815 due to lack of spina bifida diagnosis and her mother not having Vietnam service.

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

The Board has decided that the Veteran's HTN warrants a 10 percent rating, but not higher. The issue of an initial rating higher than 10 percent for HTN is remanded due to lack of recent medical records and need for further examination. The issue of entitlement to an initial compensable rating for left ear hearing loss is also remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to new evidence submitted since the last final denial.,Service connection is granted for left and right knee disabilities, but further examination is needed to address the nature and etiology of his low spine disability.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for gastrointestinal reflux disease, back condition, and left ear hearing loss due to inadequate medical opinions in previous decisions. The Veteran's service records indicate treatment for an upset stomach and possible reflux related to GERD. The examiner should address whether the GERD is caused or aggravated by any medication used for his service-connected disabilities, including ischemic heart disease.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are rated as 10 percent each, with no higher ratings available.,The Veteran's diabetes mellitus is not service connected due to lack of exposure to herbicides and absence of a showing of in-service onset or continuity of symptomatology.,The Veteran's diabetic peripheral neuropathy was not initially manifested during service, may not be presumed to have been incurred during service, and is not otherwise related to service.

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

The Veteran meets the schedular criteria for a TDIU rating due to service-connected PTSD effective October 27, 2015. The Board has granted a TDIU rating as of that date.

The Veteran's service connection claim for right ear hearing loss is denied. The VA examiner found no current diagnosis of right ear hearing loss, and the Veteran does not have a current disability related to his thoracolumbar sprain or right shoulder that warrants an increased rating. A separate 10 percent rating was granted for the right sciatic nerve disability.

The Board has granted service connection for a cervical spine disability and remanded the cases of left ear hearing loss and TDIU.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability and has remanded the issues of service connection for cervical spine, lumbosacral spine, and right hip disabilities.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has been rated as 0 percent disabling, and the issue of TDIU was denied.,The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have not prevented her from securing or following substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus and hearing loss was granted with an effective date of May 30, 1969.

The Board has denied service connection for left hearing loss and remanded the issue of service connection for back condition.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including a new VA medical opinion regarding the etiology of his hearing loss.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has worsened since his last VA examination in December 2017. The Board is remanding the case to schedule a new examination.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's symptoms began during his military service and have continued since then.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have precluded him from securing and maintaining a substantially gainful occupation, leading to the grant of TDIU benefits effective August 27, 2015. The appeal regarding reopening his mental health condition claim is remanded.

The Veteran's depressive disorder is rated at 50 percent, but the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted.,TDIU from March 13, 2012, was denied as the Veteran has been gainfully employed during this period.,Right ear hearing loss and fibromyalgia were both denied due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to service or service-connected disabilities.,Uterine fibroids are remanded for further development.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and a right foot disability, finding no current disability of hearing loss for VA compensation purposes and that the right foot pain is not related to service or service-connected disabilities.