Hearing loss Board decisions

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for right ear hearing loss, finding that there is no direct or secondary relationship between his current condition and his military service.

The Board has dismissed the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, a back disability, a left ankle disability, and hypertension due to his death.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for an initial compensable rating prior to August 24, 2016, and a rating in excess of 30 percent thereafter for bilateral hearing loss. The most probative evidence did not support granting any higher ratings.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service connected. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss requires a remand for further evaluation and rating.

The Veteran's hypertension and bilateral hearing loss have been denied initial compensable ratings.,Diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the left lower extremity has been granted a noncompensable rating since November 1, 2012. Diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the left femoral nerve was granted a separate 10% rating since July 7, 2021.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus is granted, and his appeal for an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss is remanded.

The Veteran's claim for higher ratings for bilateral hearing loss has been denied as his hearing impairment does not meet the criteria for a rating in excess of zero percent from April 22, 2014 to January 30, 2020; 10 percent from January 31, 2020 to October 12, 2021; or 50 percent from October 13, 2021 forward.

The Board has decided that the Veteran does not have a current hearing loss disability for VA purposes and denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The right knee and left knee disabilities are remanded as there is insufficient evidence to determine their etiology.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there was no current disability or evidence of in-service noise exposure. The Veteran's lay statements were not considered sufficient to establish a nexus between his current conditions and service.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient audiometric data and a need for a new VA examination.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD, hearing loss, tinnitus, and diabetes mellitus have caused him to be unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. His death was due to his service-connected conditions, specifically his diabetes mellitus which is presumed to be caused by herbicide exposure.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for TDIU from August 10, 2005 to August 1, 2014 as his service-connected disabilities did not meet the schedular criteria for a TDIU and extraschedular referral was not warranted.

The Board has determined that additional VA treatment records need to be obtained and reviewed before the claims for service connection can be decided. The case is being remanded back to the AOJ for this purpose.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been denied. The Board found that the current schedular ratings adequately reflect the severity of his service-connected conditions, and no extraschedular rating is warranted.

The Veteran's service connection claim for bilateral hearing loss is denied as there is no evidence of current right ear hearing loss.,Service connection has been granted for tinnitus, with the opinion that it is related to in-service noise exposure.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for left knee osteoarthritis, finding that it is not proximately due to or aggravated by his service-connected right knee osteoarthritis.,The Board remanded the issue of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, as there was insufficient evidence regarding its onset during service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not service-connected, as there is no evidence of a chronic disease present during or after service, and the medical opinion indicates that any current hearing loss was likely due to post-service occupational noise exposure rather than in-service noise exposure.

The Board has remanded several claims due to the need for additional medical examinations and records, including those related to PTSD, headaches, hearing loss, tinnitus, low back disability, right hand disability, left hand disability, right foot disability, left foot disability, heart disability, erectile dysfunction, and gonorrhea.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to an inadequate VA opinion based on inaccurate factual premises. The case is being sent back for further development and a new VA opinion.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss was denied, but the appeal to reopen the claim has been granted. The Veteran's claim for PTSD is being remanded.,Service connection for PTSD will be considered after further development and examination.