Hearing loss Board decisions

The Board has remanded the claims for additional development and opinion regarding service connection for bilateral hearing loss and hypertension.

The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of recent VA correspondence at the Veteran's address, and the need for another VA examination in compliance with the June 2022 remand directives.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection to sleep apnea, including as secondary to PTSD with a depressive disorder and/or left ear hearing loss, is remanded. The Veteran's appeal for an initial rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD with a depressive disorder is also remanded.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and an initial compensable disability rating for hypertension. The Veteran's appeal was remanded regarding the issue of a higher rating for his service-connected hypertension.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to an error in finding a pre-decisional duty to assist, and will seek an addendum opinion from the VA audiologist.

Service connection is granted for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus as these conditions are presumed to have been incurred in service.,Service connection is also granted for tinnitus as it is proximately due to a service-connected disability (bilateral hearing loss).,Service connection is denied for COPD, as there is no evidence of its onset within one year after the last date of herbicide exposure and no other basis for presumptive service connection.,Service connection is denied for bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy due to lack of evidence showing it became manifest to a degree of 10 percent or more within a year after the last date of herbicide exposure.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinions regarding when the Veteran's BPPV manifested and how long it had been a problem, as well as whether it is proximately due to or the result of his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is related to his active duty service and grants the claim for service connection.

The Board has remanded the claims due to incomplete information regarding the qualifications of the VA examiners who provided the examinations. The Veteran and his representative need to be notified about this issue.

The Veteran's cervical spine disability, left upper extremity neuropathy, right upper extremity neuropathy, tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, groin rash, and sleep apnea were not shown to be related to service.,Service connection for these conditions was denied.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss is being remanded due to the need for updated treatment records and another VA examination.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his active duty service, specifically his exposure to hazardous noise during basic training. The case is being remanded for further development of records and an addendum opinion.

The Board has determined that the January 2016 rating decision was a reconsideration of prior determinations and thus, new and material evidence is not required. The claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, BPPV, headaches, and an acquired psychiatric disorder are remanded due to inadequate medical opinions regarding the relationship between these conditions and service.

The Veteran's left ear hearing loss is granted service connection, while his right ear hearing loss and PTSD are denied a compensable rating. The Veteran's PTSD prior to July 1, 2021, is also denied as it does not meet the criteria for a higher than 50 percent rating.

The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate VA examination, and a new one must be conducted.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there is no evidence to support a relationship between these conditions and his military service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, benign neoplasm of the large bowel and lung condition due to inadequate medical opinions and need for additional evidence. The Veteran will be provided another opportunity to submit treatment records.

The Veteran's bilateral sensorineural hearing loss has been rated as noncompensable, and the Board denied an initial compensable rating.

The Veteran's left knee disability is service-connected as secondary to his right knee disability.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability is not causally connected to his in-service noise exposure, and therefore denied his claim for service connection.