Hearing loss Board decisions

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and examination due to missing service treatment records. The Veteran's claims of diabetes mellitus, hearing loss, and tinnitus are not currently decided.

The Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus disability ratings are remanded for additional development, including a new VA examination to assess the current severity of his conditions. The TDIU claim is also remanded due to its inextricability with the other issues.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right ear hearing loss is related to his military service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and PTSD, as well as a TDIU based on service-connected disabilities, were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of in-service noise exposure leading to current hearing loss or PTSD, and thus could not establish service connection.

The Board has remanded the claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to a lack of communication with the Veteran regarding scheduling an examination. The Veteran served in active duty from August 1964 to December 1967 and provided competent lay statements about noise exposure during service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for left ear hearing loss, back condition, and neck condition due to insufficient evidence regarding their onset during service. The VA will obtain all available STRs, conduct audiometric testing, and provide a medical opinion on whether these conditions are related to service.

The Board has remanded the case due to a misapplication of legal standards in the previous decision, and a new VA examination is needed to assess the current nature and severity of the Veteran's hearing loss.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss disability is evaluated as noncompensable (0 percent) throughout the rating period. The Board found that the audiometric test results did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss and skin disability due to inadequate medical opinions and the need for updated VA treatment records.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and its relation to his military service. The Veteran claims he was exposed to noise during service, but there is no in-service record of hearing loss. The Court found that a VA examiner should consider both positive and negative findings from an IOM study on delayed-onset hearing loss.

The Board denied the reopening of claims for service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus due to lack of new and material evidence, as the appellant's National Guard service from December 1976 to April 1982 was held to be dishonorable.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not result in the need for regular aid and attendance of another person due to resultant helplessness, as his need was caused by a combination of both service-connected and nonservice-connected disabilities.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that it is not shown to be causally or etiologically related to any disease, injury, or incident during service and did not manifest to a compensable degree within one year of separation from active duty.

The Board has denied service connection for soft tissue sarcoma and ALS due to lack of current diagnoses. The hearing loss and tinnitus claims are remanded as there is insufficient evidence regarding their etiology.

The Board denied service connection for right ear hearing loss, hypertension, and lupus anti-coagulant syndrome. The decision also noted that the Veteran's left hip disabilities were remanded for additional development.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were granted for right and left elbow strains, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and pseudofolliculitis barbae. The claims of service connection for athlete's foot, diabetes mellitus, and arthritis throughout the body are being remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for a low back disability with associated left and right lower extremity radiculopathy. The cases of the left wrist disability, to include radial, carpal, and cubital tunnel syndrome, and right ear hearing loss are remanded.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a headache disability and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding the nature and etiology of his headaches, as well as further development of his hearing loss and otitis externa.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection and TDIU are remanded due to non-compliance with prior remand directives. The hearing loss claim is denied as there is no evidence of an evaluation in excess of 30 percent.

The Board has remanded the cases of entitlement to an initial rating in excess of 20 percent for right shoulder impingement with rotator cuff tear and entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to incomplete development.