Hearing loss decisions — 2022

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has been rated at 100% since August 9, 2018. The Board also granted special monthly compensation for deafness in both ears effective from that date.

The Board has determined that additional evidentiary development is necessary prior to the adjudication of the Veteran's remaining claims, including obtaining his complete service treatment records and service personnel records. The Veteran should be asked to provide authorization for any private treatment received for his right ear hearing loss and diverticulitis.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient opinion regarding whether the Veteran's pre-existing bilateral hearing loss permanently worsened during military service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to insufficient evidence and a need for additional examinations. The issues include service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, skin disability (shingles), right shoulder disability, bilateral shin splints, and right elbow disability.

The Board has withdrawn the claims for earlier effective dates and a higher rating for tinnitus, as well as hearing loss. The case is being remanded to schedule the Veteran for an examination to assess his current bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently rated at 20 percent from October 18, 2021. The claim for a higher initial rating prior to that date was denied.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The claims of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and a low back disorder are remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations.

The Veteran's initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, arthritis of the right knee, and arthritis of the left knee due to insufficient evidence regarding service connection.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has worsened since her last VA examination, and she testified that it affects her ability to hear people in her life. The Board is remanding the case for an additional VA examination to assess the current severity of her service-connected bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss disability was rated at 10 percent from August 13, 2019 onwards. The Board denied an increased rating prior to this date.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for service-connected left ear hearing loss. The issues of increased ratings for cervical spine degenerative joint disease, slap lesion and partial thickness tear supraspinatus tendon right shoulder, and eczema, as well as his claims for service connection for tinnitus, a left wrist disorder, and a right elbow disorder are remanded.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not preclude him from obtaining or maintaining a substantially gainful occupation prior to August 11, 2016.

The Board has determined that the criteria for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss prior to August 26, 2015, and in excess of 10 percent thereafter have not been met. The claim for service connection for a back disability is being remanded due to new evidence received since the final June 2011 rating decision.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is of service origin and granted service connection for this condition.

The appeal is being remanded for the RO to consider additional evidence and list specific dates of each four-hour drill/training session in 2011. The benefits sought remain denied.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has been rated as noncompensable, and the Board finds that a compensable rating is not warranted. The Veteran's lupus erythematous disability remains under evaluation due to insufficient information regarding its impact on other bodily systems.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and consideration due to inadequate medical opinions in previous decisions.

The Board has decided the TDIU claim and remanded the service connection for cause of death. The TDIU is granted due to multiple service-connected disabilities rendering the Veteran unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. Service connection for cause of death remains pending as additional development is needed, including obtaining a nexus opinion on whether gallbladder cancer was caused by exposures at Camp Lejeune.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to new and material evidence. However, further development is required before a decision can be reached on the merits of the claim.