Hearing loss decisions — 2022

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and acquired psychiatric disorder (to include PTSD) are granted as service connected.

The Veteran's service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are granted. The decision on the tinnitus claim is remanded.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss from July 8, 2020 to May 30, 2022, and a rating in excess of 20 percent from May 31, 2022 was denied as the evidence did not show his disability warranted these ratings.

The Board has denied service connection for basal cell carcinoma and remanded the claims for hearing loss and sinusitis/rhinitis due to lack of evidence showing a current disability.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for various conditions, including right ear hearing loss, PTSD, headache disorder, left ankle and knee disorders, and shoulder disorders. The decision also remanded several other issues.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss did not have its clinical onset in service and is not otherwise related to a disease or injury during active service.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not shown to be related to service, as there is no evidence of such conditions during or immediately after service. The Veteran's diabetes mellitus was also not shown to be related to service.,The Veteran has a current diagnosis of tinnitus but the Board finds that his tinnitus did not have its onset in service and is not etiologically related to service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened, and the Board has granted service connection for PTSD, headaches as secondary to a psychiatric disability, skin disability, chronic sinusitis, GERD, tinnitus, and hypertension. The claim for blood in stool is denied. The Board has also remanded several issues related to the Veteran's disabilities.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and anxiety disorder are granted service connection, and his TDIU claim is granted based on the combined disability evaluation of 70%.

The claims for service connection for headaches, back disability, carpal tunnel syndrome of the left and right upper extremities, and anxiety disorder/depression have been reopened.,The claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have also been reopened.

The Board has granted service connection for COPD, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine. The claims are based on direct evidence rather than a presumption or secondary to another condition.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and bilateral hearing loss, finding that there is no evidence to support a nexus between these conditions and his military service.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were denied as there was no evidence of in-service incurrence or aggravation, and the Board found that any current conditions are not related to service. The claim for TDIU was granted with an effective date of November 8, 2012.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's hearing loss, which may be related to military service. The case is being remanded for further examination and opinion.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently rated at 20 percent, the highest available rating under VA guidelines. The Board found no evidence of worsening since the last examination and denied an increased rating.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability prior to March 25, 2014. The decision found that the Veteran was not precluded from securing and following substantially gainful employment due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and low back disability due to incomplete development of records, including VA treatment records from before 1996 and private treatment records from Moncrief Army Community Hospital. The Veteran is also required to undergo new medical examinations to determine if his current disabilities are related to service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there was no evidence linking his current hearing disability to his active duty service.

The Board dismissed the claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss as the appellant died during the appeal process.

The Veteran's service connection claim for bilateral hearing loss is granted as his current hearing loss is related to his period of active service.