Hearing loss Board decisions

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently rated as non-compensable, and the Board finds no basis to grant a higher rating based on the evidence of record.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted service connection, but the hearing loss case is remanded for further examination and opinion.

The Veteran's claims for effective dates earlier than August 25, 2013 for service connection of right ear hearing loss and tinnitus have been denied as there was no prior correspondence indicating an intent to file a claim.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions did not prevent him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment during the period September 27, 2014 to March 1, 2015.

The Board has granted service connection for a respiratory condition, specifically obstructive sleep apnea, as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected PTSD.,Service connection was denied for bilateral hearing loss and a skin condition.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the onset and progression of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss, including whether it is related to service or aggravated by noise exposure.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, sinusitis, and sleep apnea due to new evidence requiring further examination.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and a left knee condition due to new evidence showing potential current disabilities and conflicting onset dates.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to deficiencies in the October 2020 VA opinion, which did not address the Veteran's lay statements regarding in-service acoustic trauma and explain their reliance on the absence of audiology treatment.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and an opinion regarding whether the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is related to service exposure, specifically noise exposure during active duty.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss disability was rated as noncompensable under the VA Schedule for Rating Disabilities. The evidence did not support a compensable rating.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and a thoracolumbar spine disorder. However, due to conflicting evidence regarding the etiology of these conditions, the claims are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss and tinnitus are related to service, with current diagnoses established.,For left foot metatarsalgia and osteoarthritis and left ankle osteoarthritis, the evidence is approximately evenly balanced as to whether these disabilities had their onset in service.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's decrease in bilateral hearing acuity within one year of discharge from service is related to noise exposure during his military service and there was a continuity of symptomatology without evidence of an intercurrent cause.

The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and PFB. Service connection was granted for right lower extremity radiculopathy, left lower extremity radiculopathy, and right upper extremity radiculopathy.,Service connection was not established for PTSD or schizophrenia due to lack of evidence linking the conditions to service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based upon individual unemployability (TDIU) as his employment with the United States Postal Service was considered to be in a protected environment and he earned more than marginal income.

The appeal for the issues of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss and an evaluation in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus has been dismissed. The appeals for the remaining issues have been REMANDED.

The Board has remanded the claim for TDIU due to insufficient evidence showing that the Veteran is unemployable by reason of his service-connected disabilities. The case must be referred to the Director of Compensation Services for consideration under 38 C.F.R. § 4.16(b).

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and a rating in excess of 10 percent for right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome with joint osteoarthritis, finding that the Veteran did not have a disability at any point during the appeal period.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for service-connected chronic non-suppurative otitis media (rated as bilateral hearing loss) due to incomplete audiometric records and missed VA examinations.