Hearing loss Board decisions

The Board has dismissed all issues related to the Veteran's claims due to his death.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there is a reasonable doubt in favor of his claim given his conceded noise exposure during service and some degree of hearing loss at separation.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to missing National Guard service records.

The Board has remanded several service connection claims due to the Veteran's failure to appear for a scheduled DRO hearing. The remaining issues are still under review.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate examination and failure to consider combined effects of service-connected disabilities. The Veteran's TDIU claim is remanded for a VA examination of his right knee disability, and another VA examination or opinion regarding the combined effects of his impairments.

The Veteran's claims for sleepwalking disorder, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus have been reopened due to the submission of new evidence. Service connection is granted for all three conditions.,Service connection is established for a sleepwalking disorder, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus as these conditions are considered direct service connections based on their onset during active duty.

The Board has remanded the claim for a compensable evaluation for bilateral hearing loss due to new evidence received after the June 2019 SOC.

The Veteran's claim for a TDIU on an extraschedular basis was denied because the evidence did not show that his service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.

The Board has remanded the claims for left ear hearing loss, tinnitus, obstructive sleep apnea, and TDIU due to unclear reasoning in previous decisions. The Veteran's insomnia is found to be a symptom of his service-connected PTSD.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for right knee arthritis and cartilage loss from June 1, 2005 is dismissed. The earlier effective date claims for increased hearing loss and SMC based on hearing loss are denied. The claim for an earlier effective date for tinnitus service connection is also denied.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and examination, as well as to obtain additional medical records. The Veteran's claims for service connection for right ear hearing loss, left knee disability, cervical spine disorder, right shoulder disorder, functional dyspepsia, and right knee disability are still pending.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was granted service connection as it is presumed to have been incurred during active duty.,Service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the left lower extremity, right lower extremity, left upper extremity, and right upper extremity was denied due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Veteran's claims for residuals of right perforated tympanic membrane, bilateral hearing loss disability, PTSD, diabetes mellitus, and peripheral neuropathies are all denied as there is no evidence to support the presence of these conditions in service or a direct relationship to service.,ED was also denied due to lack of evidence supporting its connection to service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including coronary artery disease and left leg amputation, have rendered him unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment. The Board has granted a TDIU based on the combined rating of his service-connected conditions.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there is no evidence to support a link between his current condition and his military service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus is granted. The claims for service connection for DMII and prostate cancer due to herbicide exposure are remanded.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss was denied due to lack of new and material evidence within the one-year appeal period.,Service connection for tinnitus was also denied as there is no medical evidence linking the condition to active duty.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to incomplete opinions and need for further development, including obtaining additional medical records.

The Veteran's bilateral knee arthritis is granted as service-connected.,Service connection for right ear hearing loss disability is denied.

The Veteran's tinnitus is currently rated as 10 percent disabling, effective September 12, 2012. The claim for an increased rating must be denied based on a lack of entitlement under the law.,The Veteran filed his claim of entitlement to service connection for headaches more than one year after his separation from active service and years following the first complaints and/or treatment for headaches. An effective date prior to August 24, 2017, is not warranted as the claim was received in August 24, 2017.,The Veteran's erectile dysfunction, anxiety and mood disorder, and TBI disabilities are currently rated based on their severity under the applicable rating criteria. The claims for increased ratings remain in controversy as less than the maximum benefit available was awarded.,The Veteran has not been afforded a VA examination to determine if he has an eye disability (macular holes) due to his military service. A remand is required to schedule such an examination.,The Veteran's PTSD claim remains pending as there is conflicting evidence of record regarding whether the Veteran currently has PTSD. A new VA examination is needed to clarify this issue.,The Veteran's right shoulder disability, bilateral knee disabilities, cervical strain, and left lower lumbar radiculopathy are rated based on their severity under the applicable rating criteria. The claims for increased ratings remain in controversy as less than the maximum benefit available was awarded.,The Veteran's lumbosacral DDD, right calcaneal spurring, and left lower lumbar radiculopathy disabilities have not been evaluated since April 2019. A new VA examination is needed to evaluate these conditions based on their current severity.,The Veteran's headaches are currently rated as 50 percent disabling under DC 8100. The claim for an evaluation in excess of 50 percent remains pending and a remand is required to schedule the Veteran for a VA examination to assess his functional impairments, if any.,The Veteran has not been afforded a VA examination to determine whether he should be granted earlier effective dates prior to August 24, 2017. A new VA examination is needed to evaluate these issues based on their current severity.,The Veteran's nonservice-connected pension claim remains pending as the remanded issues could significantly impact this decision.