Hearing loss Board decisions

The Board has remanded the cases of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, sinusitis, and rhinitis due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's service in the Southwest Asia theater of operations during the Persian Gulf War.

The Board has granted a TDIU as of May 10, 2021, due to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities preventing him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment.

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

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for right hip disability and hearing loss as they are related to service-connected ankle and knee disabilities. The claims will be reviewed with new medical opinions.

The Board has remanded the claim for a VA examination to determine if the Veteran's hearing loss is related to his military service, including noise exposure during bridge crew duties and post-service hunting. The examiner must consider the Veteran's current hearing loss disability and provide a rationale for any opinion.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including sinusitis, heart disability, prostatitis, left ear hearing loss, hypertension, and an acquired psychiatric disorder. The reasons given were that the evidence did not support a link between these conditions and exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune.

The Veteran's service-connected right ear hearing loss is currently rated as zero percent (non-compensable) due to audiometric testing results which, when combined with the non-service-connected left ear, merit a Roman numeral of I. This results in a zero percent (non-compensable) rating.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and opinions regarding the nature and etiology of his claimed disabilities, particularly those related to his right ankle disability.

The Veteran's PTSD was rated at 50 percent prior to January 27, 2020 and denied a higher rating.,The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was rated at 20 percent prior to August 1, 2018 and denied a higher rating.,Since August 1, 2018, the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is now rated at 40 percent.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for hypertension and bilateral hearing loss disorder due to additional development of evidence.

The Veteran's claims for service connection, increased rating for PTSD, and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional review of newly obtained medical evidence.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to address the Veteran's claims, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling examinations for his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, left ear hearing loss, and hypertension are granted. Service connection for sleep apnea is also granted but with a reduced rating.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that these conditions are related to the Veteran's military service.

The Board denied a compensable rating for left ear hearing loss as there were no valid audiogram results from the appeal period that met VA's criteria for service connection.

The Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus are considered service-connected, with the Board finding that his current conditions are at least as likely as not related to in-service noise exposure.,Service connection for hypertension is granted on a direct basis due to documented exposure to herbicide agents during service. The Veteran's peripheral artery disease is also found to be service-connected secondary to diabetes mellitus.

The Veteran's service connection claim for bilateral hearing loss is denied as there is no current diagnosis of the condition.,Service connection granted for headaches, with aggravation during service.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, glaucoma, erectile dysfunction, prostate disability, skin disability, and peripheral neuropathy have been denied as there is no evidence of a current disability or a relationship to service.,Service connection was not granted because the Veteran refused VA examinations which are necessary to determine if any claimed conditions were incurred in or aggravated by service.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinions regarding a significant shift in pure tone thresholds and whether the Veteran's hearing loss disability was aggravated by service.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss. The Veteran is requested to provide an addendum medical opinion considering all relevant evidence, including his service records and lay statements.