Hearing loss Board decisions

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss have been denied as there is no legal basis to award higher schedular disability ratings.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus but denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to lack of current disability.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's current bilateral sensorineural hearing loss is related to his noise exposure during service.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is rated at 50 percent, but no higher. The Board denied the claim for TDIU as his service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection of a low back disability due to new evidence. The PTSD claim is remanded, as are claims for TBI residuals and bilateral hearing loss. Service connection for hernia resulting from VA care is also remanded.

The Board has remanded the case due to outstanding VA medical records, specifically the results of a May 2012 audiogram. The Veteran is required to provide information about any other healthcare providers who have treated his hearing loss.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unemployable, as he is able to perform activities such as golfing and water aerobics without symptoms.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is etiologically related to acoustic trauma sustained in active service, and therefore grants entitlement to service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's initial claim for an increased rating of anxiety disorder was granted, with a 10% rating from July 2012 and a 30% rating from March 2014. The appeal for bilateral hearing loss is dismissed.

The Board denied increased ratings for bilateral sensorineural hearing loss and bilateral tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's conditions have not worsened during the appeal period and are currently rated at their maximum allowable levels.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability was not incurred in or aggravated by service, and the Board found no evidence of a nexus between his current condition and his military service.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss are service-connected, but denied his claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder. The case is being remanded to obtain clarifying opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's hearing loss.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to incomplete opinions regarding the relationship between the Veteran's left ear hearing loss and his service-connected coronary artery disease.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical evidence regarding the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss. A new VA examination is needed to determine if his current hearing loss is related to service or post-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) prior to December 2, 2013 is being remanded due to the need for referral to VA's Director of Compensation Service for extraschedular consideration.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, left knee condition, right knee condition, and an acquired psychiatric disorder (major depressive disorder) due to a lack of current disability diagnoses or evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied. The Board also considered the Veteran's TDIU claim, which was raised by a former employer statement. The Veteran is service connected for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, meeting the minimum schedular criteria for TDIU under 38 C.F.R. § 4.16(a). However, the Veteran has not been provided with proper duty-to-assist notice letter or development regarding his TDIU claim.

The Veteran's appeal for initial compensable ratings and service connection for various hand, wrist, and ankle conditions has been remanded due to incomplete records of his periods of active duty for training (ACDUTRA).

The Veteran's service-connected conditions have rendered him unable to perform daily activities of living without the assistance of another, and he is granted SMC for aid and attendance from another person.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss and colon cancer, finding that there was no evidence to support a link between these conditions and his time in service. The Board also found insufficient evidence to connect the Veteran's current colon cancer to herbicide exposure during service.