Hearing loss Board decisions

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a need for a new VA examination regarding the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss, as the previous opinion was not thorough enough and did not consider recent research on delayed onset noise-induced hearing loss.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for right foot condition has been reopened and granted. The case of bilateral hearing loss is remanded, and the issue of service connection for erectile dysfunction secondary to a service-connected left wrist disability is also remanded.

The Veteran is entitled to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) on an extraschedular basis due to his service-connected right foot osteoarthrosis, diabetes mellitus, tinnitus, and bilateral hearing loss since October 4, 2012.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevent him from obtaining and maintaining substantial gainful employment, warranting a TDIU effective December 20, 2000. The Board also remanded the issue of whether a TDIU is warranted prior to December 20, 2000.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, right shoulder condition, and headache condition due to insufficient evidence regarding their onset or causation.

The Board has ordered a remand for an addendum opinion to determine the date of onset and etiology of the Veteran's hearing loss, including consideration of Dr. Kujawa's research on delayed onset noise-induced hearing loss.

The Board has granted service connection for right ear sensorineural hearing loss. However, the claims for left ear sensorineural hearing loss and lung condition (COPD) are remanded due to inadequate medical opinions.

The Veteran's service-connected tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss do not prevent him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment, as his disabilities are not severe enough to meet the criteria for a TDIU rating on an extraschedular basis.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for gouty arthritis, an increase in a 10 percent rating for low back degenerative disc disease and degenerative joint disease, and entitlement to TDIU due to incomplete development.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there is no evidence of a nexus between these conditions and his military service.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension, but denied service connection for left ear hearing loss, heart disorder, left wrist carpal tunnel syndrome, right foot disorder, left foot disorder, and right leg neuropathy.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there is no current disability due to hearing loss as defined by VA rating criteria.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not render him unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment prior to March 7, 2017. The Board denied entitlement to a TDIU on this basis.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and vertigo are granted as service connected. The claim for bilateral toe disabilities is remanded due to outstanding VA medical records.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left ear hearing loss is related to his military service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran is granted a TDIU rating effective April 21, 2011 due to his service-connected PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus preventing him from securing and maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to March 2, 2017 for the grant of a 10 percent evaluation for trigeminal nerve disorder is denied.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and an increased rating for migraine headaches are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's service connection for PTSD and alcohol abuse is granted, while his hearing loss claim remains pending due to the need for a new VA examination.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to inadequate opinions in the September 2021 VA opinion. The examiner is asked to address the Veteran's reports of hearing loss upon separation, at an October 1981 VA examination, as well as his documented in-service treatment for chronic otitis media and upper respiratory infections.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD and arteriosclerotic heart disease, rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment as of October 15, 2015. His TDIU was granted effective from that date.