Hearing loss Board decisions

The Board has decided that the Veteran's initial rating for hearing loss should be remanded due to the need for further development and consideration of other symptoms reported by the Veteran.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeal for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, which was secondary to service-connected hypertension.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the onset and causation of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss, which may be related to service exposure. A new VA examination is needed.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to inadequate examination reports, which did not consider the Veteran's in-service noise exposure and pre-service audiograms.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to a lack of a Statement of the Case (SOC).

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left ear hearing loss and obstructive sleep apnea disabilities. The Veteran's allergic rhinitis claim is remanded, and his chronic fatigue syndrome (to include as due to Gulf War syndrome) claim requires further development.,The Veteran was not found to have a current diagnosis of left ear hearing loss or obstructive sleep apnea disability related to service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a gastrointestinal disability, including IBS and GERD, finding no evidence of such condition during service or that it is related to his service-connected acquired psychiatric disability. The Board also found no evidence of bilateral hearing loss due to exposure to noise in service, thus denying presumptive service connection.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been reopened, but the Board has remanded both issues due to inadequate medical opinions regarding their etiology.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and MDD, was denied as the most persuasive evidence demonstrated that his current diagnosis of Major Depressive Disorder did not have its onset during active duty service or was otherwise etiologically related to service. The claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, left knee disability, and right knee disability are remanded due to a lack of VA examination records.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient rationale for a negative nexus opinion regarding the Veteran's right ear hearing loss. The Veteran's service treatment records and military personnel file records are available, but an in-person examination is not warranted.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD and lumbar spine disability, rendered him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation prior to June 26, 2018. The Board granted TDIU for this period.

The Veteran's claims for an initial compensable evaluation for bilateral hearing loss, service connection for a gastrointestinal disability as secondary to PTSD, and service connection for a headache disability as secondary to PTSD are being remanded due to the need for additional evidence and medical opinions.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for a low back disability, an initial rating higher than 40 percent for bilateral hearing loss, and an initial rating higher than 10 percent for tinnitus due to lack of recent VA treatment records and need for new examination.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities (bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus) do not meet the criteria for SMC based on need for aid and attendance or housebound status.

The Board has denied the claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there is no evidence of hearing loss during or within one year after service and concluding that the Veteran's current hearing loss is not related to his military service.

The Veteran's claim for bilateral hearing loss is denied as he does not meet the VA standards for a diagnosis of bilateral hearing loss.,The Veteran's claims for sleep condition other than obstructive sleep apnea, chronic headaches, lower back condition, bilateral knee condition, skin condition, and stomach condition are remanded due to insufficient evidence or inadequate opinions in previous examinations.,Further examination is needed to determine the nature and etiology of these conditions, including whether they are related to service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, low back disorder, and right knee disorder due to incomplete service treatment records and inadequate medical opinions. The case will be returned to VA for further development.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been granted, and the effective dates are not specified.,Issues related to rating increases and earlier effective dates remain pending.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's symptoms are related to his active duty service. However, service connection for pulmonary embolism was denied as it is not considered an injury incurred during INACDUTRA.