Hearing loss decisions — 2022

The Board has decided to remand the cases for further development due to inadequate VA audiological examinations and conflicting opinions regarding the Veteran's hearing loss.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to address the Veteran's claim for service connection for right ear hearing loss due to his military service, specifically his MOS as an armor crewman. The Veteran contends that his hearing loss is related to in-service acoustic trauma and delayed onset hearing loss.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service connection claims, including bilateral hearing loss, heart disability, neurological disabilities of the upper and lower extremities, diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy, and PTSD. Additional medical opinions are needed regarding the relationship between these conditions and service.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has been rated as noncompensable, with the most recent audiometric test showing no worse than Level I in both ears. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on functional impact and current medical records.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate medical opinions and examinations regarding the Veteran's hearing loss disability. The case will be returned for further development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and scheduling a new VA examination by a different examiner.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to ensure compliance with the November 2020 Board remand, as the requested VA examination and medical opinion were not obtained. The claims for TBI, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus are being remanded due to the failure to obtain these examinations.

The Board denied service connection for hearing loss, finding that the Veteran did not have a current disability and no evidence of noise exposure or in-service injury. The claim was based on the Veteran's contention that his hearing loss began during service due to noise exposure as a military policeman.

The appeals for service connection of bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, chronic right groin problems, right big toe frostbite, left foot gout, left shoulder degenerative arthritis, sleep apnea, tension headaches, and lumbar spine arthritis have been dismissed. The appeals for service connection of left knee disorder and right knee disorder are remanded.

The Veteran's service connection claim for diabetes mellitus, type II was granted. However, his claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied.

The Veteran's disability rating for bilateral hearing loss was reduced from 40% to 20%, effective February 1, 2016. The Board found that the reduction was not proper and restored the original 40% rating.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete documentation of hearing test results from a VA audiology clinic. The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss is pending and will be reconsidered with the new information.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was rated at 10 percent effective July 19, 2022. Prior to that date, the rating remained noncompensable.

The Veteran's appeals for various conditions and ratings are being remanded due to procedural issues, need for additional examinations, and the need to address claims of entitlement to an effective date prior to August 15, 2013, for asthma on the basis of clear and unmistakable error (CUE).

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus type II, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus, prevent him from establishing and maintaining substantially gainful employment. The Board has granted total disability based on individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional medical opinions to address the severity of his coronary artery disease prior to January 21, 2020. The Board will also consider whether a total disability rating based on individual unemployability should be granted from August 25, 2014.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for TDIU prior to May 2, 2011 due to a lack of evidence showing that his service-connected disabilities precluded him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Board has decided to remand the cases of bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus for further examination and opinion due to a lack of consideration of the Veteran's lay statements regarding his noise exposure during active service.

The Board has decided to remand the cases for further examination and opinion regarding the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and psychiatric disorders, including depression, anxiety, and alcoholism.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is rated as noncompensable, and his tinnitus is rated at the maximum allowable under VA regulations.,The Veteran's CKD was not rated higher than 60 percent prior to July 19, 2019.,The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not meet the criteria for a TDIU or DEA effective date as of August 31, 2010.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to lack of a nexus between the current disability and military service. The issues of service connection for left knee and right knee disabilities are remanded as VA records have not been obtained.