Hearing loss decisions — 2022

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and right ear hearing loss due to potential new evidence that may support these claims. The Veteran will be provided notice of sources by which his claimed stressors can be corroborated, and a VA examination will be scheduled to determine if any diagnosed acquired psychiatric disorder is related to service.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and hypertension. The case is being remanded due to inadequate examination reports.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss resulted in significant impairment of daily living and marked interference with employment from June 27, 2017 to August 6, 2020. A 100 percent initial evaluation for this condition was granted on an extraschedular basis.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, a left eye condition, hypertension, and skin cancer residuals due to inadequate medical opinions regarding military noise exposure, Agent Orange exposure, and sun exposure. The Veteran must be provided new VA examinations.

The Board has determined that the evidence is in equipoise regarding whether the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is related to his military service. As a result, the claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is granted.

The Veteran's left ear hearing loss was not incurred in service and is not etiologically related to service. The Board denied service connection for this condition.,For the right knee disability, a separate 10 percent rating prior to February 7, 2021, and 20 percent thereafter for right patellar instability (previously rated as right knee instability) was granted. However, the Veteran's claim for an increased rating in excess of 20 percent for limitation of motion of the right knee remains denied.

The Veteran's sinusitis was granted service connection as it is presumed to be related to his exposure to particulate matter during the Persian Gulf War.,Service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability was denied due to lack of objective evidence meeting VA regulatory criteria.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has been rated as noncompensable, and the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and right shoulder disability have been granted service connection. An initial 40 percent rating for the right shoulder disability is granted from February 3, 2021 to the present.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss has been reopened and is granted.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for left knee disability, low back disability, and right thumb dislocation have also been reopened and are granted.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and TDIU due to inconsistencies in previous VA medical opinions regarding threshold shifts in service records, delayed onset hearing loss, and other relevant evidence. The Veteran's claim will be reconsidered with a new VA medical opinion.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has been rated as noncompensable since March 31, 2014. The Board found that the available audiometric results do not support a compensable rating.

The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss was denied. The Board found that the Veteran is only entitled to a non-compensable rating prior to December 1, 2017 and from November 11, 2021 onward, but not in between.

The Board has remanded the cases of bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to insufficient evidence regarding their etiology.

The Board has remanded the case due to procedural errors and additional evidence needs to be considered before a final decision can be made on the TDIU claim.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss began during service and is due to in-service noise exposure, meeting the criteria for service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is related to his military service, specifically exposure to non-ionizing radiation from radar work. The claim for service connection is granted.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not combine to 70 percent or more, so he does not qualify for a TDIU under the percentage requirements. The Board finds that there is a reasonable possibility of unemployability due to his service-connected disabilities and remands the issue to the Director of Compensation Service for an opinion.

The Board denied the claim of service connection for the cause of death due to blunt force trauma to the head, finding that there is no evidence linking the Veteran's service-connected PTSD medications to his fall and subsequent death. The decision was based on VA medical opinions.