Hearing loss decisions — 2022

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for bilateral hearing loss was dismissed due to the Veteran withdrawing his claim. The appeals for service connection for a lumbar spine disorder, tinnitus, kidney disease (due to exposure to contaminated waters at Camp Lejeune), and liver disease (due to exposure to contaminated waters at Camp Lejeune) are remanded.

The Veteran's claim for bilateral hearing loss is denied as there is no current diagnosis of a disability that meets the criteria for VA compensation purposes.,The Veteran's claims for an acquired psychiatric disorder, lumbar spine disorder, right hand disorder, and left hand disorder are remanded due to inadequate medical opinions and need for additional evidence.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation, and his claim for TDIU is denied.

The Veteran's bilateral tinnitus and sinusitis are granted service connection due to exposure during the Persian Gulf War. Hearing loss is remanded for further examination, as is a respiratory disability with cough, to include shortness of breath due to a cardiac disability.

The Board has remanded the claim of bilateral hearing loss due to noise exposure during service for further development and an opinion from a VA examiner.

The Board has remanded the cases due to outstanding VA treatment records and issues with communication addresses.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is etiologically related to his active-duty service. The issues of entitlement to service connection for left and right knee conditions are being remanded due to incomplete development.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and service connection have been dismissed. The Board found that the Veteran withdrew his appeals for these issues prior to a decision being made.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, radiculopathy, and diabetes mellitus due to insufficient consideration of relevant service treatment records. The Veteran's migraine headaches claim is also remanded as there are no adequate opinions regarding his rating.

The Board has granted the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that these conditions are at least as likely as not related to the Veteran's in-service noise exposure.

The Board denied service connection for right ear hearing loss as there was no evidence of hearing loss during a qualifying period of service and the current condition is not related to military noise exposure.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the evidence is in equipoise regarding a causal link to active-duty service. Service connection was denied for skin growth disability due to lack of evidence linking it to herbicide agent exposure during service.

The Board has granted service connection for left ear hearing loss but has remanded the issue of right ear hearing loss due to lack of current evidence.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for lumbar spine strain and other service connection issues due to new evidence received since the last decision. The case will be returned to the AOJ for review.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for ischemic heart disease due to lack of a current diagnosis. The claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, hypertension, skin cancer, and an acquired psychiatric condition (including PTSD, depressive disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder) are remanded for further development.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to the lack of evidence showing a current disability as defined by VA standards.,The Board also denied service connection for allergic rhinitis, finding that there was no causal link between the Veteran's in-service symptoms and his current condition.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his bilateral hearing loss is remanded due to the need for a new VA examination and clarification of symptoms.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates and increased ratings are being remanded due to the lack of evidence showing a claim was filed prior to June 9, 2009. The Veteran's hypertension claim is also being remanded as there are no recent VA medical records available.

The Board has determined that additional medical examinations and opinions are needed to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's claimed conditions, including bilateral hearing loss, fibrocystic breasts, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), bilateral shin splints, back disability, and left knee disability. The claims for service connection will be remanded.

The Veteran's service connection claim for unspecified depressive disorder and bilateral hearing loss was granted. The claim for tinnitus was remanded due to insufficient medical opinions.