Hearing loss Board decisions

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is likely related to service, including exposure to noise during service. As a result, the claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is granted.

The Veteran's claim for TDIU prior to February 23, 2018 was denied as his service-connected disabilities did not prevent him from obtaining or retaining substantially gainful employment.,From February 23, 2018, the Veteran's claim for TDIU was dismissed because he is already eligible for special monthly compensation based on a 100% disability rating for bladder cancer and combined evaluations of his other service-connected disabilities.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate opinions regarding the Veteran's right ear hearing loss, and further examination is needed.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevented him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation since May 22, 2017.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities (tinnitus, hearing loss, and lumbar disc disease) have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is granted from September 16, 2013 due to his service-connected disabilities preventing him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete audiometric test results and inadequate speech recognition testing. The Veteran needs updated VA treatment records, complete audiometry results from December 2017, and a new VA audiological examination.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, a blood disorder (anemia and myeloproliferative disorder (Jak 2+)), and a heart condition (atrial flutter and fibrillation) have been remanded due to the need for additional medical examination and development of records.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including eye condition (retinopathy), bilateral hearing loss, diabetes mellitus, erectile dysfunction, and peripheral neuropathy. The issues are being remanded due to inadequate opinions regarding the etiology of these conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including bilateral knee disability, hearing loss, and tinnitus, have prevented him from securing and following substantially gainful employment since October 5, 2017. The Board has granted a TDIU effective that date.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim of service connection for a disability manifested by imbalance and dizziness, finding that these symptoms are not contemplated by the criteria set forth in Diagnostic Code 6100. However, the Board also noted that extraschedular consideration is unwarranted as the Veteran's symptoms can be adequately addressed using alternative schedular tools.

The Board has granted service connection for right ear hearing loss and remanded the issue of assigning an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's claim for reimbursement of unauthorized non-VA medical care received at Sebastian River Medical Center on October 19, 2016 is granted. The Board found that the treatment was provided in a medical emergency and that VA facilities were not feasibly available.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for coronary artery disease, claimed as ischemic heart disease, is granted due to presumed exposure to herbicides during service.,Service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus is denied as there was no in-service acoustic trauma.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and consideration, including obtaining medical opinions on etiology and scheduling a VA examination.

Service connection granted for PTSD, bilateral pes planus and plantar fasciitis, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus.,Service connection granted for bilateral pes planus and plantar fasciitis. Service connection for heart condition withdrawn.,Service connection granted for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.,Service connection granted for PTSD.,Service connection for a heart condition withdrawn.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional examinations and opinions to determine if hearing loss, tinnitus, and vertigo are related to service or service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's PTSD rating was increased to 70 percent, and his claims for service connection for hypertension, OSA, COPD, right ear hearing loss, a skin condition (including skin cancer and actinic keratosis), and GERD were granted.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for bilateral otitis media with hearing loss has been denied, and the case is REMANDED to attempt to verify his claimed PTSD stressor event.

The Board has dismissed all appeals as the Veteran died during the pendency of these claims.