Hearing loss Board decisions

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for a right ear hearing loss and a right foot disorder, including residuals of toe amputations. The decision is based on the lack of evidence showing that any current disabilities are related to military service.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss as there was no evidence of a chronic disease shown during service, and the Veteran's current hearing loss disability is not related to his active service or any incident therein.

The Veteran's service-connected ADHD is granted, and the cases of bilateral hearing loss and an acquired psychiatric disorder other than ADHD are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD and other disabilities render him unemployable, meeting the criteria for a total disability rating due to individual unemployability.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is remanded for referral to the Director, Compensation Service, for an extraschedular determination as to whether he is entitled to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities from March 30, 2007 to May 18, 2010.

The Board has determined that new evidence supports reopening of claims for service connection for sleep apnea and right ear hearing loss. However, the left leg condition and headaches have not been substantiated by the provided evidence.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for left knee disability, bilateral hearing loss, and obstructive sleep apnea (claimed as secondary to PTSD and medication for a service-connected back disability). The Board found no evidence of chronic conditions in service that could be linked to current disabilities.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not cause him to be unable to secure or maintain a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation by reason of being housebound was denied because none of his service-connected disabilities are rated as 100 percent disabling independently, and the threshold schedular requirement for housebound under any theory is not met.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss is currently rated as noncompensable, and the Board finds that his audiometric results do not warrant a higher rating.

The Board has granted service connection for right foot achilles tendon condition, hearing loss, and tinnitus. These conditions are deemed to have originated during military service.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions did not cause his death from Parkinson's disease. The Board denied the claim as there was no evidence that any of his service-connected disabilities contributed to his death.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to independently perform daily functions of self-care or unable to protect himself from the hazards and dangers incident to his daily environment, thus denying special monthly pension based on need for regular aid and attendance.

The claim for service connection of left ear hearing loss is reopened and remanded. The claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for residuals of left ear surgery is also remanded.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied as there is no current diagnosis of a hearing loss disability. The Board finds the Veteran's assertions regarding hearing loss are not competent evidence.,Service connection for tinnitus is granted based on in-service noise exposure and continuity of symptomatology.,For eczema, the Veteran's claim is remanded as the rating assigned (30%) does not reflect the extent of his skin condition.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a left ear hearing loss disability, tinnitus, diabetes mellitus type II, lumbar spine disability, bilateral knee disability, and an acquired psychological disorder (including PTSD and depression) are all granted. The Veteran is also granted a compensable rating for his right ear hearing loss disability.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for bilateral hearing loss in excess of 30% prior to November 9, 2015 was denied. A 40% disability rating is granted from November 9, 2015 to May 16, 2017. The claim for an increased rating beyond 70% disabling after May 16, 2017 was also denied.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently rated as noncompensable, with the most recent audiometric test showing Level I hearing in both ears. The Board found that this rating adequately reflects his functional hearing impairment.

The Board has remanded the case for further action due to mischaracterization of a VA examiner's opinion and failure to consider evidence regarding the Veteran's loss of his commercial driving license.

The Board has remanded the claim of entitlement to an initial compensable disability rating for a bilateral hearing loss disability due to new evidence received since the July 2016 SOC.