Hearing loss Board decisions

The Board has decided to remand the case due to incomplete records and will attempt to obtain pertinent VA medical records, particularly those from a May 15, 2015, non-VA care audiology consultation. The claim for service connection for a bilateral hearing loss disability is now pending.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for further VA evaluations of his PTSD, left ear hearing loss, and right ear hearing loss.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including a referral to VA's Director of Compensation Services for extraschedular consideration of the Veteran's TDIU claim due to service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) as his combined ratings are insufficient to qualify and he is capable of performing substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss are granted as service-connected.,Both conditions were found to have onset during active duty service.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was found to be at its worst Level I in the right ear and Level IX in the left ear, resulting in a noncompensable disability rating.

The Veteran's request to withdraw his right wrist disability claim has been accepted. The Board finds that the Veteran does not have a current hearing loss disability in his left ear, and therefore service connection for left ear sensorineural hearing loss is denied.,Service connection for right ear sensorineural hearing loss is granted based on continuity of symptomatology since service. However, the Board has remanded to obtain clarification regarding whether the Veteran currently has a hip or knee disability.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for further development due to insufficient medical evidence on file. The claims include service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, a bilateral arm skin disability, a head or facial skin disability, and a right eye disability.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current diagnosis of tinnitus first manifested in service. However, service connection for left ear hearing loss was denied as there is no evidence of an increase in severity during service.

Service connection for varicose veins in left and right lower extremities has been granted.,The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss condition is being remanded for further examination.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability has been rated as noncompensable (0%) due to the audiometric results showing Level I and Level II hearing acuity in both ears. The Board found that these ratings are appropriate based on the VA examinations conducted.

The Veteran's claim for fibromyalgia has been granted. The claim for reopening and granting service connection for right ear hearing loss is also granted. Other claims of service connection are remanded.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to assess the current severity of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and scheduling a VA examination. The case is being remanded for these purposes.

The Board denied an initial rating in excess of 50 percent for bilateral hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's hearing acuity fits squarely within the criteria for a 50 percent disability rating.

The Board has determined that the May 2019 VA Form 10182, which was used to appeal in the modernized system (AMA), is invalid due to an administrative error. The appeal will now be considered under the legacy system and a Statement of the Case must be issued.

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

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining an addendum opinion from a VA audiologist regarding whether the Veteran's hearing loss is related to service. The right ear hearing loss claim was denied as there is no evidence of hearing loss disability during or within one year after service.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for lumbar-spine disorder, shin splints, right-shoulder disorder, left-shoulder disorder, right-wrist disorder, left-wrist disorder, and right-ankle disorder due to an outstanding duty to assist.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for an addendum opinion regarding whether the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is secondary to his service-connected Guillain-Barre syndrome.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability has been manifested by no worse than level II hearing disability for the right ear, and a level III hearing disability for the left ear. The criteria for entitlement to a compensable rating for a bilateral hearing loss disability are not met.