Hearing loss Board decisions

The Veteran's claim for an increased amount of DIC under 38 U.S.C. § 1311(a)(2) is denied because he did not meet the criteria of having a service-connected disability rated as totally disabling for at least eight years immediately preceding his death.

The Board has remanded the cases of right knee pain, bilateral hearing loss, and back disability due to inadequate medical examinations. The Veteran must be provided with new VA medical examinations to determine the etiology of these conditions.

Service connection for tinnitus is granted, while service connection for hearing loss, fibromyalgia, and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) are denied.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including bilateral hearing loss, degenerative arthritis of the knees, and psychiatric conditions. The issues include seeking higher ratings for these conditions and determining if the Veteran is entitled to a TDIU due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of substantial compliance with an earlier remand directive and the adequacy of the January 2021 VA opinion in light of McCray v. Wilkie, 31 Vet. App. 243 (2019).

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to insufficient evidence and need for additional medical opinions. The issues include eye disability, acquired psychiatric disorders (including PTSD and adjustment disorder with anxiety), back disability, and bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are causally related to his in-service acoustic trauma.

The Board has withdrawn the appeal for an earlier effective date for service connection for PTSD, unspecified depressive disorder; fibromyalgia; tinnitus; bilateral hearing loss; and eczema. The right knee and left knee disorders are remanded for further development.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinions regarding the relationship between the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and his in-service noise exposure.

The Board denied service connection for right ear sensorineural hearing loss, left ear sensorineural hearing loss, and tinnitus due to lack of evidence showing chronic symptoms during or within one year after service. The Veteran's assertions about noise exposure were not credible given his denial of these conditions in post-service medical records.

The Board has granted the Veteran's requests to reopen his claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and back disability. The heart disability claim remains denied.

The Veteran's initial claim for an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied. The Board found that the Veteran's hearing acuity did not warrant a compensable or higher rating prior to March 15, 2022 and after March 15, 2022.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there is no evidence of a significant threshold shift during his service and considering the Veteran's in-service noise exposure. The VA examiner's opinion was deemed more probative than the private doctor's opinion.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right and left ankle disabilities and bilateral hearing loss, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board has remanded the cases due to new evidence received after the previous remand. The claims for service connection and a compensable rating are pending.

The Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation (SMC) based on the need for aid and attendance or housebound status is being remanded due to inadequate medical evidence provided in support of his claims.

The Board has remanded the cases due to the need to issue a Statement of the Case (SOC) for the issues of entitlement to service connection for right and left knee conditions, bilateral hearing loss, and a right ankle condition.

The Board has remanded the cases due to outstanding VA treatment records and an addendum opinion regarding the Veteran's service connection claims for cervical spine disability.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and a heart disability due to inadequate medical opinions in previous decisions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened, and the Board has ordered a VA examination to address the etiology of his psychiatric disorder. The issues of right shoulder, left shoulder, right arm, left arm, right hip, and left hip degenerative arthritis are also remanded for further development.