Hearing loss decisions — 2022

The Veteran's appeals to reopen his anxiety claim and for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss have been dismissed.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from securing or maintaining substantially gainful employment, and a TDIU on an extraschedular basis is denied.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has been rated at 20 percent, and the Board finds no evidence to support a higher rating. The claims for service connection of left eye disability and right eye disability are REMANDED for further development.

The Veteran's initial claim for an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied as the symptoms are adequately encompassed by the established schedular criteria and do not present such an exceptional or unusual disability picture with related factors as to render impractical the application of the regular schedular standards.

The DIC benefits claim is denied as the Veteran did not meet the criteria for receiving such benefits. The cause of death claim is remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding the relationship between the Veteran's service-connected PTSD and his death.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to incomplete service records and a need for an addendum opinion considering all periods of active duty, including ACDUTRA with the Florida National Guard.

The Board has dismissed all appeals for service connection as the Veteran died before a decision could be made.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and remanded the cases of lumbar Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD) and bilateral hearing loss.

The Board denied service connection for right ear hearing loss disability and skin disorder of bilateral legs and/or feet, finding that the evidence did not support a link to in-service noise exposure or other causes.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection of a hearing loss disability as there is no current evidence showing the presence of a hearing loss disability, defined by VA regulations.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to issues with the validity of a previous VA hearing loss examination. The Veteran will be asked to have his ears cleaned before another examination is scheduled.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus. The cases of bilateral hearing loss, back disability, and an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD) are remanded due to the need for additional examinations.

The Veteran's appeal was denied as his PTSD did not meet the criteria for a higher rating than 50 percent, and he is also denied TDIU based on his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently rated as noncompensable prior to November 23, 2021 and at a 40 percent rating thereafter. The Veteran's PTSD has been rated as 50 percent prior to December 14, 2021 and at a 70 percent rating thereafter.,The Board finds that the evidence does not support higher ratings for either condition during any of the periods on appeal.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened, but the Board has determined that additional medical opinions are needed to determine the etiology of his left shoulder disorder, lumbar spine disorder, right wrist disorder, and bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for left ear hearing loss as there is no current disability meeting VA criteria.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus were dismissed due to the death of the Veteran during the appeal process.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss and PTSD are being remanded due to duty to assist errors. The VA must obtain updated audiometry reports from March 2018 and November 2017, as well as private treatment records from Drs. TL and JP.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete audiometric test results from December 9, 2019. The Veteran's hearing loss condition is being reviewed again for a possible rating adjustment.

The appeal for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is dismissed. The appeals for lumbosacral strain, a bilateral peripheral nerve condition (sciatica), and pes planus are remanded.