Hearing loss Board decisions

The Veteran's appeals were dismissed due to his death. The Board has no jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits of the claims at this time.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for PTSD and bilateral hearing loss, as well as his TDIU claim due to new evidence received since the last statement of the case.

The Board has remanded several issues for further development and examination. The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating for PTSD was withdrawn, while the remaining claims are being reviewed again due to lack of recent VA treatment records and need for additional examinations.

The Board has dismissed the claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II, bilateral hearing loss, hypertension, an eye disability (benign vitreous floaters), sleep apnea, and a heart disorder. The claim for PTSD was also dismissed.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has been manifested by hearing acuity of no worse than Level II in the right ear and no worse than Level II in the left ear, resulting in a non-compensable rating.,The Board remanded both issues for further development.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including bilateral hearing loss and degenerative arthritis of the right ankle, rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment as of July 15, 2010. The Board granted a TDIU on an extraschedular basis.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to incomplete etiology opinion regarding bilateral hearing loss. Additional development is needed, including a VA audiology examination.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently rated as noncompensable, and his tinnitus is rated at the maximum allowable under VA regulations.,The Veteran seeks an increased rating for both conditions but has not provided a clear basis for such. The current ratings are considered appropriate based on the schedular criteria.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his bilateral hearing loss was denied as the evidence did not show that his disability warranted a rating in excess of 30 percent.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss is denied as his hearing loss has not manifested by worse than Level II hearing in the right ear and Level I hearing in the left ear.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his bilateral hearing loss and prostate cancer, rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation from August 1, 2013, to January 17, 2017.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection for various disabilities, including left ear hearing loss, right and left ankle disabilities, lumbar spine disability, right lower extremity sciatica, and left lower extremity sciatica, must be remanded due to insufficient evidence in the record.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension and remanded the claims of service connection for sleep apnea, hearing loss, hyperlipidemia, and allergic rhinitis.

The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate July 2020 VA examination, which did not consider the Veteran's lay statements of in-service noise exposure. A new VA examination is needed.

The Veteran's hearing loss resulted in a 90% rating from December 3, 2015 to April 7, 2020. The Board found no evidence of entitlement to a higher rating during this period and denied the claim.

The Board has remanded several issues for further development, including service connection claims for various conditions. The Veteran's hearing loss claim is denied as he does not have a current diagnosis of bilateral hearing loss by VA standards.

The Veteran's appeals for hearing loss, lumbosacral strain, bilateral pes planus with plantar fasciitis, and cervical spine condition have all been dismissed due to the Veteran's withdrawal of his appeal.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's tinnitus is service-connected. The other claims are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, sleep apnea, and bilateral flatfeet have been denied as there is no persuasive evidence of a current disability or relationship to service.,The Veteran's claim for tinnitus has been remanded due to the need for an addendum opinion regarding its etiology. The claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder has also been remanded for further examination and analysis.

The Veteran's bilateral sensorineural hearing loss was not shown as chronic in service and did not manifest to a compensable degree within the applicable presumptive period. The evidence of record persuasively weighs against finding that the Veteran has had PTSD at any time during or approximate to the pendency of the claim.,The evidence of record persuasively weighs against finding that the Veteran has depression began during active service, or is otherwise related to an in-service injury or disease.,Service connection for substance abuse was denied as there is no medical professional providing an opinion relating substance abuse to a service-connected disability.