Hearing loss decisions — 2022

The Board has decided that a VA audiological examination is needed to determine if the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss had its onset during active service or is related to any incident of service, including military noise exposure.

The Veteran's appeal for higher ratings for bilateral hearing loss was denied. The initial noncompensable rating prior to December 14, 2021, and the current 20 percent rating from that date are upheld.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for his bilateral sensorineural hearing loss has been withdrawn by the Veteran and his representative.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability was found to be no worse than Level I in the right ear and Level II in the left ear prior to May 23, 2017. After that date, it was found to be no worse than Level VI in the right ear and Level IV in the left ear. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.

The Board has remanded the case due to missing service treatment records and incomplete efforts to rebuild the claims file. The Veteran is asked to provide any copies of documents he received from VA prior to November 2011, specifically decisional documents.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and right ankle sprain have been dismissed as he has withdrawn his appeal.

The Veteran's initial claim for bilateral hearing loss was granted with a 10% rating effective September 25, 2015. A 20% rating was granted as of March 18, 2016, and a 70% rating was granted as of December 1, 2017.

The Board has granted a 20 percent rating for bilateral hearing loss from March 26, 2014. Prior to this date, the Veteran's hearing loss was not compensable.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for hypertension and bilateral hearing loss due to insufficient evidence. The Veteran will need to undergo VA examinations to determine if his conditions manifested during service, were caused by exposure to Agent Orange or military acoustic trauma, and whether they are related to his active duty.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been reopened, and both conditions are now granted.,The Board found that the Veteran had a history of noise exposure during service which likely contributed to his current hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Veteran's service connection claim for left ear hearing loss was denied, and his PTSD rating from January 17, 2017 to April 26, 2021, and in excess of 70 percent thereafter, was also denied.

The Board has found that the Veteran's claims for mycotic nails, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus must be remanded due to incomplete records. The AOJ is instructed to obtain any outstanding VA treatment records and private medical records from the Veteran.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has been rated as noncompensable throughout the appeal period, with no worse than Level II hearing acuity in both ears and speech recognition ability of 88 percent in the right ear and 84 percent in the left ear during the June 2019 audiological evaluation.,The Veteran's hepatitis C has been rated as 10 percent under Diagnostic Code 7354, with a separate 30 percent rating for postoperative residuals of hepatocellular liver carcinoma with liver transplant. The appeal is remanded to determine if the Veteran should be evaluated separately or combined.

The Board found that the Appellant's bilateral hearing loss is at least as likely as not related to noise exposure in service and granted his claim for service connection. The claims for PTSD, low back disability, and tinnitus were remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, anxiety neurosis, bilateral hearing loss, and a groin rash. The issues of left leg condition, left foot condition, and heart condition are also remanded due to outstanding medical questions.

The Board has decided to remand two issues: the initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss and service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and sleep impairment. The Veteran's claims will be further evaluated with new evidence and examinations.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for service-connected bilateral hearing loss was denied as the evidence did not show that his hearing acuity met the criteria for a higher disability rating.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss disability has worsened, but the evidence does not include Maryland CNC test scores as required for rating purposes. The Board finds a new VA examination is needed to determine the current severity of his disability.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, a bilateral foot disorder (pes planus), a spine disorder, and shoulder disorders due to his duties in the mess hall during active service. The evidence does not support a finding that these conditions are related to service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for left ear hearing loss and tinnitus due to a lack of adequate medical opinions regarding their etiology.