Hearing loss Board decisions

The Board has dismissed the appeals for service connection of hypertension, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus. The appeal for service connection of headaches secondary to a service-connected psychiatric disability is granted.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for right ankle disability, bilateral hearing loss, and left knee disability due to insufficient evidence or need for further examination.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete development of records from the East Orange VA Medical Center regarding a speech discrimination test from December 7, 2015.

The Veteran is entitled to a TDIU from September 25, 2005 to October 29, 2010 due to his service-connected disabilities preventing him from securing and following substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran was previously denied a TDIU prior to February 14, 2017 due to his employment history and the severity of his service-connected disabilities. From that date forward, he is granted a TDIU based on his PTSD alone.,From February 14, 2017 onwards, the Veteran's TDIU was granted as his PTSD rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, Parkinsonism, and PTSD, render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation from June 18, 2013 to January 3, 2017. As the evidence is at least evenly balanced as to whether he can secure such employment, his claim for TDIU in this period is granted.

The Board has denied an initial compensable evaluation for bilateral hearing loss and remanded the issue of service connection for a left shoulder disorder.,The Veteran's representative raised concerns about the adequacy of the August 2020 VA examination regarding his claim that his left shoulder disorder was incurred during ACDUTRA or INACDUTRA in 2011.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability may be related to his proximity to canon fire during service. The examiner is asked to review all pertinent evidence and determine if there is a link between the in-service exposure and the current condition.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and special monthly pension based on need for aid and attendance due to additional VA examination reports and clinical documentation not yet reviewed by the Agency of Original Jurisdiction.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for memory loss, hepatitis, hearing loss, and tinnitus has been reopened. The Board finds that the case is REMANDED due to the need for additional examinations and opinions.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including a new examination and consideration of whether an extraschedular rating is warranted for bilateral hearing loss. The Veteran's symptoms of dizziness, ear wetness, and ear pain are not contemplated by the current schedular criteria.

The Board has granted service connection for sleep apnea, reopened the claim for bilateral hearing loss, and remanded the issue of service connection for left ear hearing loss. The Veteran's right ear hearing loss is also granted.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for a right wrist disorder and hearing loss due to new evidence received since April 2018. The claims are being remanded for further development, including VA examinations.

The Veteran's claim for an effective date earlier than November 9, 2016, for the grant of service connection for a hernia repair scar was denied. The Board found that there is no evidence showing any communication prior to November 9, 2016, indicating intent to file such a claim.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for left ear hearing loss and right ear hearing loss were both remanded as the evidence did not support current diagnoses of these conditions. The Board noted that there was no recent diagnosis of left ear hearing loss disability for VA purposes.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss, finding that the evidence is in approximate balance as to whether these conditions had their onset during military service.

The Board has granted service connection for left ear hearing loss and tinnitus, but denied right ear hearing loss. Service connection is also remanded for arthritis, type II diabetes mellitus, and hypertension.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for chronic tuberculosis (TB) was denied due to lack of a clinical diagnosis. New and material evidence has not been received since the last final denial.,Service connection for a back disability is reopened based on new evidence submitted by the Veteran, but the Board finds that there is no competent medical evidence linking the current disability to service or any other condition. The claim remains denied.,The effective date for service connection for bilateral hearing loss cannot be earlier than January 14, 2016, as the Veteran did not have a hearing loss disability for VA purposes prior to that date.,Further development is needed on the issues of right knee disability, left knee disability, sinus disability, and obstructive sleep apnea due to lack of medical evidence linking these conditions to service or any other condition.,The issue of skin cysts remains remanded as there is insufficient information regarding its onset in service.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's conditions are at least as likely as not related to his active service due to noise exposure.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and left ear disability, specifically whether he was wearing his hearing aids during previous examinations.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his psychiatric disorder and recurrent kidney stones, have rendered him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation.