Hearing loss decisions — 2022

The Board has decided that the Veteran's bilateral sensorineural hearing loss may be related to service, and a remand is needed to obtain additional medical opinions regarding his in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's TDIU claim for prior to May 20, 2015 is granted. The COPD rating issue from October 4, 2013 is remanded due to an inaccurate SSOC.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his left knee and right knee disabilities, as well as a TDIU prior to December 28, 2011, are being remanded due to the need for additional development.,Specifically, the Veteran needs an updated VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected right and left knee disabilities under both the former and revised rating criteria.

The Board has restored the Veteran's 70% disability rating for bilateral sensorineural hearing loss, effective January 1, 2019, as there was no material improvement in his ability to function under ordinary conditions of life and work.

The Veteran's appeal includes issues of service connection for various disabilities, including a back disability, hip disabilities, neck and shoulder/arm disabilities, bilateral hearing loss, PTSD, and TDIU. The Board has previously remanded several of these issues due to the need for additional development, particularly regarding in-service treatment records at Portsmouth Naval Hospital. These issues are now being remanded again.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus but has remanded the issue of service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to insufficient evidence.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased rating for bilateral hearing loss and TDIU due to issues with the previous medical opinions and lack of proper consideration of all relevant evidence.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including left and right knee disabilities, right ear hearing loss, Meniere's disease, tinnitus, left shoulder disorder, right shoulder disorder, and hormonal deficiency syndrome have been granted.

The Board denied service connection for left ear hearing loss, right ear hearing loss, and tinnitus due to a lack of medical evidence linking these conditions to active duty service.,Specifically, the VA examiner found that the Veteran's preexisting left ear hearing loss did not worsen during service beyond its natural progression. For his right ear hearing loss and tinnitus, there was no credible evidence showing continuity of symptoms from separation until diagnosis.

The Board has decided to remand the cases for additional development and consideration of evidence, including private treatment records.

The Board has granted service connection for coronary artery disease as a result of exposure to herbicide agents, but denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for hearing loss as it requires obtaining additional VA treatment records and a medical opinion regarding whether his current hearing loss is related to in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss disability is denied as she does not meet the VA criteria for a current hearing loss disability.,Service connection for hemorrhoids and thyroid disability (hypothyroidism) are remanded due to incomplete service records and need for further evaluation.

The Board has remanded the case for further development regarding multiple joint arthritis, including the back, bilateral hips, and bilateral knees. The other issues remain unresolved.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate examination for bilateral hearing loss, which is related to in-service noise exposure.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's conditions are at least as likely as not related to his military service. The right shoulder disability claim is remanded due to incomplete records.

The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate VA examination regarding the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss, which is related to in-service exposure to noise. The examiner needs to provide a new opinion on whether the Veteran's hearing loss is related to his service.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, specifically addressing issues related to service connection for these conditions.

The appeal for service connection of kidney stones is dismissed. The appeals for bilateral hearing loss, left eye disability, right eye disability, residuals of heat stroke, and an acquired psychiatric disorder to include PTSD are remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus but remanded the issue of service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to inadequate medical opinions.