Hearing loss Board decisions

The Board has remanded several service connection claims for the Veteran's death, including those for brain cancer, lymphoma, upper and lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, hearing loss, impotence, eye condition, and stroke. The appeal is not about DIC under 38 U.S.C. § 1318.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a TDIU on an extraschedular basis, finding that his service-connected disabilities did not preclude him from securing and maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and effective dates are being remanded due to procedural errors in the prior decisions.,The Board is also remanding his service connection claim for right ear hearing loss.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD and Bipolar Disorder, is now granted as service-connected.,His bilateral hearing loss claim remains pending due to the need for a VA examination.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss, asthma, and pulmonary tuberculosis due to an inability to contact the Veteran regarding their status.

The Veteran's hearing loss in the right ear is granted, but his tinnitus and bilateral knee disabilities are remanded for further examination. The right eye vision impairment claim is also remanded.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss due to new evidence received since the last denial. The Veteran's tinnitus is now granted, but his claim for bilateral hearing loss remains pending.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional medical records and examinations. Specifically, there are concerns about the severity of his hearing loss, headaches, and TBI prior to June 16, 2022, and in excess of 40 percent thereafter.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate examination and medical opinion regarding the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss. The examiner failed to clearly address how military noise exposure impacts both tinnitus and hearing loss.

The Veteran's lumbar degenerative disc disease was granted an initial rating of 20 percent, effective from the date of the grant of service connection. The Veteran's left and right ear hearing loss were also granted service connection.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus have been reopened, but the increased rating claim for lumbar spine disability remains pending.,The Board has remanded both issues to allow further development.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient consideration of the Veteran's lay statements and the evidence regarding in-service noise exposure. The Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss may be related to his service, including delayed-onset hearing loss.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss was rated at 10 percent prior to October 26, 2016 and in excess of 10 percent thereafter. The Board found that the criteria for a compensable rating have not been met.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for a right ear hearing loss disability, finding that it is at least as likely as not related to his in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's initial claim for an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied. The Board found that the Veteran's hearing loss manifested at a 20 percent disability level prior to January 7, 2022; at a 40 percent disability level from January 7, 2022, to August 2, 2022; and at a 20 percent disability level beginning on August 3, 2022.

The Board has remanded the cases of entitlement to a compensable initial rating for bilateral hearing loss and entitlement to a total disability rating due to individual unemployability (TDIU) due to procedural issues.

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss and tinnitus were not shown to have manifested by any symptomatology during or within one year of separation from active service. The Board denied these claims as the evidence did not support a finding that they are related to service.,For his back disability, skin condition of the feet, and migraine condition, no diagnosed form of arthritis was found within one year of discharge from service. The Veteran's complaints were noted only after 10 years post active service.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability, finding that the evidence did not support a link between the condition and active duty service.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for left ear hearing loss, peripheral neuropathy of the left lower extremity, and peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity due to new evidence submitted by the Veteran.

The Board found that the Veteran's March 2017 substantive appeal was untimely, as it was received nearly one year after the April 2016 Statement of the Case and more than 60 days after the April 2016 SOC. The decision denied the appeal due to lack of timely submission.