Hearing loss Board decisions

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and acquired psychiatric disorder claims are denied as there is no evidence of a current disability meeting VA criteria.,For the right and left upper extremity nerve conditions, additional development is needed to determine their etiology.

The Veteran's tinnitus has been granted service connection. The Board found the Veteran's lay statements credible and established that his tinnitus began during his military service. For the remaining issues, the Board remanded for further development including obtaining medical records and scheduling VA examinations.

The Board has denied the Veteran's request for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for tinnitus, and has remanded the issues of service connection for left knee disability, bilateral hearing loss, and increased evaluation for cataract with extraction, and IOL OS with glaucoma, macular pigment alteration and vitreous hemorrhage.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of a traumatic brain injury, degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine, and migraine headaches have been granted. The claim for a compensable disability rating for bilateral hearing loss is denied.

The Veteran's claim for an effective date earlier than January 12, 2015 for the grant of service connection for bilateral hearing loss has been denied.,The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 30 percent for service-connected hypertensive heart disease has been denied.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, claimed as anxiety and depression, has been denied.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that his current hearing loss is not related to active service or any incident of service, including as due to in-service exposure to hazardous noise.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities are considered to be so severe that they prevent him from obtaining or maintaining a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and has remanded the issue of service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to inadequate VA examination.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been remanded due to procedural errors in the appeal process.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has been rated at 0 percent since September 1, 2009. The Board found that the current rating is not warranted as his hearing impairment does not meet or approximate the criteria for a compensable evaluation.

The Board dismissed the appeal for an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss as the appellant withdrew her appeal prior to a decision being made.

The Veteran's claim for bilateral hearing loss is denied as he does not meet the statutory criteria for a diagnosis of hearing loss.,The Veteran's claims for skin disabilities affecting his hands and trunk, and feet are denied as he does not have current diagnoses of these conditions.,The Veteran's claim for residuals, to include scarring, due to MRSA infection is granted.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development due to missing service medical records and difficulty in notifying the Veteran of examination dates.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has worsened, and a new VA examination is needed to determine the current severity of his condition.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional development due to insufficient examination opinions and missing records. The Veteran's claims for service connection are not currently supported by evidence of a current disability.

Service connection for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is granted. Service connection for bilateral hearing loss, fatigue, left shoulder pain, right wrist pain, esophageal reflux, sleep disturbances, headaches, lung condition, hypertension, and heart condition are denied. A rating in excess of 10 percent for a painful scar on the left knee and a compensable rating for non-painful scars on the left knee is granted.

The Veteran's claim for high cholesterol is denied as it does not represent a disability for which service connection can be granted. The Board finds that the Veteran has been remanded on multiple issues due to inadequate opinions and need for updated examinations considering toxic exposure.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to insufficient medical opinion regarding service connection.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claims for service connection and initial ratings for tinnitus, left knee surgical scar, bilateral hearing loss, and right knee tendonitis need to be remanded due to procedural issues.

The Veteran's initial claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied.,A 40 percent rating for the low back disability from January 11, 2018 to November 2, 2022 was granted. However, a higher rating in excess of 40 percent since November 2, 2022 is not warranted.