Hearing loss Board decisions

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to outstanding medical records and the need for a VA examination.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is not related to his active duty service, as evidenced by normal hearing at separation and no evidence of delayed onset hearing loss. The Board finds the VA examination opinion more probative than the Veteran's lay statements.

The Board has remanded the cases due to insufficient examination findings regarding the Veteran's right ear hearing loss. The examiner is instructed to consider the full record, including the Veteran's lay statements and types of noise exposure during service, and determine if it is at least as likely as not that his right ear hearing loss had its onset during service or is causally related to in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has been evaluated as noncompensable, with no worse than Level I hearing acuity in both ears. The Board denied an initial compensable rating for the entirety of the appeal period.

The Board dismissed the appeal of sleep apnea. Bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were granted service connection.

The Board has reopened the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, a sinus condition, and an acquired psychiatric disorder. The issues are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss was denied as there is no evidence of a current disability.,A 10 percent initial rating for hypertension prior to November 18, 2016 was granted. The Veteran's hypertension did not meet the criteria for a higher rating during this period.,The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for hypertension from November 18, 2016 through December 15, 2016 was denied as his blood pressure readings were below the threshold for a 20 percent rating.,The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for hypertension from December 16, 2016 was also denied.

The Board has remanded several issues including service connection for hypertension, erectile dysfunction, and depressive disorder. The effective date of the grant of service connection for bilateral hearing loss remains May 16, 2012.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not meet the schedular criteria for a TDIU rating prior to December 5, 2016. The Board denied his claim as he did not have at least one disability rated at 40 percent with a combined evaluation of 80 percent.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are granted service connection, but his left and right knee disabilities are denied.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently rated as noncompensable, with the most recent audiometric test showing Level II hearing in the right ear and Level I in the left ear. The Board found that the VA examination was valid and considered the Veteran's need for hearing aids.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied as there is no competent or credible evidence of a hearing loss disability in service or related to service.

The reduction of the rating for bilateral hearing loss disability from 70 percent to 50 percent effective December 1, 2015, was improper, and the 70 percent rating is restored. The issue of entitlement to an increased rating in excess of 70 percent disabling for bilateral hearing loss is remanded.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities are of such severity that they preclude substantially gainful employment, and the Board has granted a TDIU effective October 2, 2006.

The Veteran requested to withdraw his appeal for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, and the Board dismissed the appeal due to this request.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's conditions are at least as likely as not related to in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss was evaluated as zero percent disabling throughout the appeal period, based on audiometric test results showing no more than level III hearing impairment in both ears. The Board found that these results did not warrant a compensable evaluation.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is not service-connected as it is more likely due to natural aging rather than in-service noise exposure.,Diabetes mellitus type II was not incurred during active service and did not develop within one year of discharge. The current diagnosis is attributed to the aging process.,Service connection for anxiety disorder prior to March 30, 2010, and an earlier effective date for a 50 percent rating are denied as there is no new evidence that would support reopening the claim.,The claims for heart condition, hypertension, and right and left hand conditions were previously denied. The Veteran's petition to reopen these claims has been denied due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and diabetes mellitus. The decision found that there was no evidence of in-service noise exposure or herbicide exposure related to diabetes mellitus, and thus denied these claims.

The Board denied service connection for various disabilities including right shoulder, left arm, cervical spine, bilateral knee, binocular vision, and hearing loss disabilities due to the Veteran's failure to attend VA examinations scheduled in November 2009.