Hearing loss Board decisions

The Veteran's claims for initial compensable evaluations for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and coronary artery disease were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher evaluation in any of these cases.

The Veteran's hearing loss is remanded due to inadequate medical opinion.,Diabetes mellitus and Parkinson’s disease are remanded as the exposure basis has not been adequately developed.,Sleep apnea is remanded as it is secondary to diabetes mellitus, which also needs to be resolved first.,Parotid gland adenoma is remanded due to inadequate medical opinion regarding radiation exposure.,Service connection for parotid gland adenoma will need further development under 38 C.F.R. § 3.311.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are granted as service-connected.

The Veteran's service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss, hypertensive heart disease, and hypertension were denied. Bilateral hearing loss was not shown to be related to service. The Veteran's hypertensive heart disease did not meet the criteria for a rating in excess of 30 percent or a 10 percent rating. His hypertension met the criteria for a 10 percent rating.

The Veteran's initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss prior to July 30, 2018 and a higher than 10 percent rating thereafter are denied as the audiometric evaluations do not support these ratings.

The Board has decided to remand the cases of right ear hearing loss and left ear hearing loss for further development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection have been denied. The right knee, back, tinnitus, ingrown toenails, left knee disorder (claimed as left knee disorder), bilateral hearing loss (claimed as bilateral hearing loss), lung disorder (claimed as lung disorder, specifically asbestosis), nasal disorder (claimed as nasal disorder, specifically rhinitis), and headaches have been denied. The Veteran's service connection claim for a psychiatric disorder has been granted.

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 70 percent for bilateral hearing loss is denied as his current hearing acuity does not warrant such a higher rating.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss is rated as non-compensable, and the Board finds that his claim for a compensable rating has been denied.

The Veteran's appeal for withholding of VA disability compensation benefits due to military drill pay was denied as the evidence did not support his claim that he had fewer than 83 days of INACDUTRA in FY 2011 and FY 2012.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for sickle cell anemia has been denied as there is no evidence of a current diagnosis or superimposed disease.,The Veteran's claim for higher initial ratings for various disabilities, including blurred vision, hearing loss, and PTSD with memory loss, are remanded to obtain additional VA treatment records.

The Board has determined that the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and psychiatric disability are denied. The claims for service connection for left knee and back disabilities are remanded due to incomplete examination.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for postoperative residuals of a cerebral artery aneurysm, to include a cerebrovascular accident; bilateral eye disorders, to include photophobia; and peripheral neuropathy are remanded. The Veteran's claims for higher ratings for PTSD and bilateral hearing loss are also remanded.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus have been denied as there is no evidence of a nexus between the disabilities and service, including noise exposure. The Board found that the preponderance of the evidence did not support the Veteran's assertions.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss should be remanded to allow for additional development of his VA treatment records.

The Board has determined that a new VA examination and opinion are necessary for the Veteran's claims of bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, as the existing opinions are inadequate.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to a lack of an examination, as no VA examination has been conducted.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and PTSD have been denied. The Board has found that the Veteran does not meet the criteria for a current diagnosis of these conditions.,The Veteran's Chiari I malformation and syringomyelia, as well as his numbness and tingling in the extremities and low back disability, are being remanded for further examination and analysis.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to potential service connection issues, including a need for additional medical examination.

The Veteran's left ear hearing loss is currently rated as noncompensable, and there are no other audiogram data provided to support a higher rating.