Hearing loss Board decisions

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and shrapnel in the buttock, left cheek due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied as his hearing impairment did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.,Claims for increased ratings for left hip strain with limitation of flexion, left hip strain with impairment of the thigh, and left hip strain with limitation of extension were also denied due to lack of evidence showing more severe functional limitations than currently assigned.

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss is granted as service-connected. The Veteran's PTSD remains at a 70% evaluation, but TDIU is granted.

The Board has remanded the case for further development of records, including service treatment and personnel records. The character of discharge issue is intertwined with the claims for PTSD, hearing loss, and tinnitus.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient development of evidence regarding the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss. The Veteran served in Vietnam and had service department examinations prior to January 1, 1967.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss as there was no evidence of hearing loss disability for VA purposes and the examiner found that any current hearing loss is not related to military service.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate examination and missing VA treatment records. The Veteran's hearing loss disability needs further evaluation by a VA audiologist.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss, right knee instability, left knee instability, and painful flexion and extension of both knees were denied as the Veteran failed to attend scheduled VA examinations without good cause.

The Board has remanded the claims of entitlement to service connection for chronic residuals of pneumonia, right ear hearing loss, left ear hearing loss, tinnitus, head injury, and cervical strain due to incomplete documentation in the Veteran's notice of disagreement.

The Board has remanded the case due to non-compliance with previous remand instructions and for a medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is related to his active service, including combat-related noise exposure during Operation Desert Storm.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bipolar I disorder, tinnitus, and bilateral hearing loss have been granted with effective dates of July 11, 2013.,However, the Veteran is seeking an earlier effective date for these grants. The Board finds that the proper effective date cannot be earlier than July 11, 2013.

The Veteran's appeal for higher ratings for his bilateral hearing loss disability was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not show symptoms warranting a higher rating at any time during the appeal period.

The Board has decided that the earlier effective dates for service connection of various disabilities are remanded due to incomplete documentation regarding scheduling of VA examinations.

The Veteran's cause of death is remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions and VA treatment records.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for erectile dysfunction, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus due to insufficient evidence. The TDIU claim is also remanded as it may be significantly impacted by these issues.

The Board has remanded several issues for further development and examination. The Veteran's claims include service connection for various conditions, including hearing loss, heart condition, diabetes mellitus, skin condition, back condition, and right ear hearing loss.

The Veteran's appeal of his tinnitus claim is denied as he is already in receipt of the maximum schedular rating available for tinnitus. The Board finds that the Veteran's claims for higher ratings for his low back disorder, left and right sciatic nerve radiculopathy, and bilateral hearing loss must be remanded due to lack of a recent VA examination.

The Board has decided to remand four issues related to the Veteran's service-connected PTSD, sleep apnea, hearing loss, and tinnitus. The Veteran will need to undergo additional examinations to determine the current severity of his PTSD, as well as whether his sleep apnea is related to his service-connected PTSD or if it was caused by his military service.

The Veteran's claim for restoration of a separate rating for thoracic spine disability was denied as the original decision granting separate ratings was clearly and unmistakably erroneous.,The Veteran is granted TDIU based on his service-connected disabilities, which meet the percentage requirements.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, low back disability, cervical spine disability, left shoulder disability, diabetes mellitus type II, neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities, and glaucoma.,Service connection was not granted for any of these conditions as there is no evidence showing they began during or are otherwise related to service.