Hearing loss decisions — 2021

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings on several conditions have been dismissed.,The claims for service connection for right knee arthritis and hearing loss of the left ear have been reopened.

The Board has remanded the case for a new VA examination to determine if the Veteran had right ear hearing loss during the period on appeal and whether any current right ear hearing loss is related to service.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied as he did not report for a VA examination to determine the current severity of his condition.

The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable evaluation for bilateral hearing loss is denied, and the case is remanded due to inconsistencies in audiometric evaluations.

The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss has been denied as his hearing acuity does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.,The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for prostate cancer residuals from September 27, 2017 to August 13, 2021 and 60 percent thereafter has been partially granted with a 60 percent rating effective May 14, 2021. The matter remains on appeal as the claim is not fully resolved.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has been manifested by hearing acuity of no worse than Level IX in the right ear and no worse than Level II in the left ear. The Board denied a compensable disability rating for his bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was rated as noncompensable under Diagnostic Code 6100. The Board found that the Veteran's hearing acuity did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.

The Board has granted service connection for a low back disability, finding that the evidence is at least evenly balanced as to whether the Veteran's current low back disability was incurred during his period of active service.,Service connection for hearing loss remains pending and will be remanded for further development.

The Veteran's left ear hearing loss is remanded for further evaluation due to a duty to assist error regarding the conversion of audiometric results from ASA standards to ISO-ANSI standards.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his exposure to noise during service, and thus granted service connection for these conditions.,For his back problems, the Board found that the Veteran's current condition is at least as likely as not related to his in-service injury while loading bombs on a ship.

The Board denied service connection for multiple conditions, including TBI, dizziness and/or vertigo, diabetes mellitus, prostate hypertrophy, left shoulder disability, right hand disability, and left heel spur. The evidence did not support a finding of current disabilities or an in-service injury that could be linked to these conditions.,The Board found the preponderance of the evidence against service connection for TBI due to lack of credible reports of head injuries during service and no residuals documented post-service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional etiology opinions regarding left-ear hearing loss. The Veteran's service connection claims for left-ear otitis media and left-ear hearing loss are currently pending.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for hyperlipidemia, erectile dysfunction, diabetes mellitus, coronary arteriosclerosis, tinnitus, and bilateral hearing loss due to outstanding records and need for a VA examination.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not preclude him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation prior to March 19, 2016.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there is no evidence of in-service injury or disease related to these conditions. The Board also found that the current hearing loss and tinnitus are not due to military noise exposure.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding no evidence of current disabilities or a nexus to service.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for total disability based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities, with a combined rating of at least 70 percent.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection and ratings related to his right foot, left ear hearing loss, and left knee disabilities have been dismissed due to the Veteran's request for withdrawal of all pending appeals.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability evaluation based upon individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities (TDIU) as his service-connected conditions did not render him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is rated at 40 percent since September 28, 2019. The Board denied an increased rating for the condition prior to that date.