Hearing loss Board decisions

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and remanded the issues of service connection for left knee disability and right knee disability due to lack of evidence meeting VA criteria for a current disability.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss. The VA needs to obtain an addendum opinion from the examiner that addresses whether any in-service noise exposure during qualifying periods of active duty for training and/or other Federal service caused his bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's claim for an increase in his service-connected bilateral hearing loss disability is remanded due to the need for a new examination. Additionally, the relationship between his dizziness and his hearing loss disability needs to be addressed.

The Board has remanded several claims for further development and review.,The Veteran's sleep apnea claim is being reviewed to determine if it is secondary to his service-connected psychiatric disability (Chronic Adjustment Disorder).,The matter of whether the Veteran's Mild Neurocognitive Disorder (manifesting as memory loss) is secondary to his newly service-connected psychiatric disability will be submitted for review.,The Board has remanded several claims related to sleep apnea and its relationship to the Veteran's service-connected inguinal hernia and surgical scar.,Several skin disorder claims are being reviewed, including whether they are secondary to exposure to herbicide agents or other chemicals.,The Veteran's hypertension claim is being reviewed for secondary service connection based on his service-connected inguinal hernia and/or exposure to herbicide agents.,The Veteran's diabetes mellitus claim is also being reviewed for secondary service connection based on his service-connected inguinal hernia and/or exposure to herbicide agents.,Several other claims are being remanded, including those related to sleep apnea, memory loss, skin disorders, heart disorder, sinus disorder, left shoulder disorder, gout, knee disorder, leg disorder, visual disorder, prostate disorder, foot disorder, and thyroid disorder.,The Veteran's TDIU claim is also being reviewed.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss due to procedural issues, including a failure to perfect an appeal. The Veteran's statements regarding his hearing loss will be considered in a new examination.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current condition is related to his in-service noise exposure. The decision on bilateral hearing loss remains pending as a remand was ordered.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable disability rating for bilateral hearing loss since June 11, 2014 is denied. The Board finds that the evidence does not support a higher rating.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's conditions preexisted his active duty and were not aggravated by it.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for bilateral hearing loss has been dismissed due to their death.

The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of adequate reasons and bases for denying service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The Veteran's claim will be reconsidered with an examination by an ENT specialist.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss has been granted due to the reopening of his previous denied claim and the finding that his current diagnosis is related to in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is rated at 10 percent, which is the maximum rating available under VA regulations.,The Veteran's sleep apnea does not meet the criteria for a higher than 50 percent rating as it does not result in chronic respiratory failure or require a tracheostomy.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right ear hearing loss disability does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating, as it is currently manifested by Level III hearing in the right ear.

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

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a left knee condition due to lack of evidence of current disability during or contemporary to the appeal period. The claims for service connection for left ear hearing loss, sleep apnea, and hypertension are remanded as additional development is needed.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, right knee disability, and left knee disability due to incomplete opinions and lack of medical records.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as secondary to service-connected right ear hearing loss. The rating for his right ear hearing loss remains unchanged, and the issue of left ear hearing loss is remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are related to his military service. The decision is based on the Veteran's exposure to loud noise during active duty and National Guard training.

The Veteran's PTSD is granted as service-connected due to a qualifying in-service stressor. The appeals for right hip, cervical spine, and bilateral hearing loss disabilities are dismissed.

The Board has granted service connection for left ear hearing loss disability and tinnitus, finding that the evidence is at least evenly balanced as to whether these conditions are related to in-service noise exposure.