Hearing loss Board decisions

The Board denied a rating in excess of 10 percent for the period prior to December 20, 2019 and a rating in excess of 50 percent for the period from December 20, 2019 for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to the inadequacy of the May 2015 VA examination and the need for an addendum opinion regarding the relationship between the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and his service, including in-service noise exposure and treatment for earwax buildup.

The Veteran's tinnitus is found to have had its onset during service and granted service connection.,The Veteran's PTSD is found to be related to in-service stressors and granted service connection.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, right knee disability, and left knee disability due to a lack of evidence showing these conditions were incurred or aggravated by active service.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn by his representative, and the Board is dismissing the case.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for right and left ear hearing loss due to inadequate compliance with prior remand directives.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been remanded due to the need for a new VA examination.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not prevent him from securing or following gainful employment prior to January 4, 2020.

Service connection for tinnitus is granted. Service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied.,The Veteran's right ankle sprain and back disability are remanded due to insufficient evidence of in-service causation or aggravation.,The Veteran's breathing problems are remanded as the nature and etiology need further evaluation.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate statement of reasons or bases, and needs to address the nature and etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss, including considering delayed onset hearing loss.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability was previously rated as noncompensable prior to July 9, 2018. The RO has now increased the rating to 10 percent effective from July 9, 2018.,The Veteran is seeking a higher initial rating for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss disability and also seeks TDIU.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is remanded due to new complaints and the need for a VA examination.,The Veteran's back condition, hernia condition, and abdominal scar are remanded as there are missing service treatment records and a need for a VA examination.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions and audiometric results.

The Board has decided to remand the claim of service connection for left ear hearing loss due to potential issues with the medical opinion provided. The Veteran's exposure to noise during service is acknowledged, but the examiner did not consider his post-service use of hearing protection and subsequent onset of hearing loss.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of bilateral hearing loss for VA purposes, and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is due to noise exposure during service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's employability and the severity of their service-connected disabilities, specifically bilateral shoulder disability, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus. The Veteran will need to provide additional information for a TDIU claim and undergo new examinations.

The claim to reopen service connection for right ear hearing loss is granted, and the Veteran's right ear hearing loss is now service-connected. The initial rating for left ear hearing loss is remanded.

The Veteran's hearing loss was rated at 30 percent from August 12, 2015 to January 23, 2020. The claim for TDIU was denied as the Veteran had already been in receipt of a 100% disability rating due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for sickle cell trait is denied as the condition is a congenital defect and not subject to VA compensation.,Service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability is denied because the Veteran does not have a current disability meeting VA criteria.,Service connection for upper back disability, PFB, asthma, and bilateral eye disability are all denied due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to service or post-service treatment records.,The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for lumbar strain prior to August 11, 2017 is denied.