Hearing loss decisions — 2022

The Board has remanded the cases for additional development and an updated medical opinion to address the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and a right knee disorder.

The Veteran's left ear hearing loss is granted as service connected.,His heart disease and hypertension are granted as service connected due to exposure to herbicide agents during his Vietnam Era service.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are at least as likely as not related to his military service due to noise exposure.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including bilateral hearing loss, PTSD, coronary artery disease, peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities, and tinnitus, have rendered him unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment. The Board has granted a TDIU based on these conditions.

The Board has remanded the cases due to insufficient reasoning in the July 2018 decision regarding service connection for left ear hearing loss and the compensable rating for right ear hearing loss. The Veteran's preexisting hearing loss is noted, but there are questions about whether it worsened during service or if any increase was due to natural progression.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities (bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus) do not meet the criteria for a special home adaptation grant as they do not result in blindness or permanent total disability due to anatomical loss of use of both hands, full thickness burns, or inhalation injuries.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were granted service connection effective April 30, 2021.,A rating in excess of 40 percent for bilateral hearing loss is denied. The Veteran has been assigned a 40 percent rating.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss is being remanded due to a duty-to-assist error. The VA audiometric test results from August 31, 2018 and April 4, 2019 need to be obtained and included in the evaluation.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied as there is no effective date prior to July 16, 2021, due to the fact that the disability had already been rated at 40% by March 28, 2022.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions do not render him unable to obtain or maintain substantially gainful employment, and his TDIU claim is denied.

The Veteran's spouse is not eligible for PCAFC benefits due to a lack of caregiver training and the failure to complete assessments within 90 days. The Board has remanded the case to ensure proper completion of these requirements.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to a duty to assist error.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to new evidence submitted by the Veteran. The claims will be reviewed again with a focus on whether there is a link between the conditions and the Veteran's active service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a scar on the left lower extremity as a residual of a tibial/shin laceration is granted. The claims for lumbar spine disability, bilateral hearing loss, and skin disabilities are denied.

The Veteran's tinnitus is found to have begun during active service and granted.,His bilateral hearing loss and osteoarthritis of the right knee are remanded for further review.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are granted as service-connected.,Tinnitus is secondary to the Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss.,<unknown>,Anemia and cardiac disability are remanded for further examination and opinion.,<unknown>

The Board has determined that new and relevant evidence has been added to the record since the prior final denials for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, shrapnel wound, left arm, and hypertension. The claims are being remanded for further development.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's appeals for service connection of low back pain and bilateral hearing loss due to his withdrawal of the appeal before a decision was made.

The Board has decided to remand the cases of tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss for further examination as the current VA opinion is inadequate.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus but remanded the case for further action on bilateral hearing loss.