Hearing loss Board decisions

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are granted as service connected due to in-service acoustic trauma.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is denied as there is no evidence of in-service noise exposure or a link to service.,The Veteran's right and left knee replacements are remanded due to the absence of continuity of symptomatology from service and lack of explanation regarding claimed in-service injuries.,The Veteran's hypertension, chronic renal disease, and chronic lymphocytic leukemia are remanded as they may be related to his multiple myeloma. The claims for these conditions will be deferred pending further development.,The Veteran's multiple myeloma is remanded due to the absence of a dose estimate from VA’s Under Secretary for Health regarding ionizing radiation exposure during service.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is denied as his combined disability rating does not meet the schedular criteria for a total disability rating, and there is no evidence that he is unable to obtain or retain substantially gainful employment due to service-connected disabilities.

Service connection for diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities, and hypertension is denied. The claim for service connection for tinnitus and an acquired psychiatric disorder (claimed as PTSD and major depressive) is remanded.,The TDIU claim is inextricably intertwined with the claims for service connection being remanded.

The Veteran's PTSD, left ear hearing loss, right ear hearing loss, and left knee disorder are being remanded for further evaluation. The initial rating for PTSD is granted at 50 percent.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for migraine headaches was granted. The initial compensable rating claim for left ear hearing loss was denied. The issue of service connection for a left knee disability is dismissed due to withdrawal by the Veteran. The issues of service connection for right ankle strain and low back disability are remanded for further evaluation.

The Board has denied service connection for left ear hearing loss due to lack of evidence meeting the threshold requirements set out by 38 C.F.R. § 3.385. The Veteran's claim of service connection for right ear hearing loss is remanded as the January 2013 VA examination opinion was inadequate.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for hearing loss in the right ear and tinnitus due to potential issues with the VA examiner's opinion. The Veteran is seeking service connection for these conditions, which existed prior to service but may have been aggravated during active duty.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for a low back disability and granted it. The Veteran's PTSD is remanded for further evaluation, as are his claims for right ear hearing loss and tinnitus (secondary to left ear hearing loss).

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus was denied as there is no current disability.,Service connection for tinnitus was also denied due to lack of a link between the condition and active duty.

The Board denied an extraschedular initial rating for bilateral hearing loss, finding that the schedular ratings adequately account for the Veteran's symptoms and there was no evidence of marked interference with employment.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for a bilateral hearing loss disability due to insufficient audiometric evaluations and the need for further information from Kaiser Permanente.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's incisional hernia is not service-connected due to lack of causation, and his bilateral hearing loss disability does not warrant a compensable rating.

Service connection is granted for bilateral hearing loss. A TDIU is granted for heart disability, and the issue of an initial rating in excess of 60 percent for coronary artery disease is remanded.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss and TDIU because his disability ratings were not high enough to warrant these benefits, and there was no evidence that his service-connected conditions alone rendered him unemployable.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is granted as service-connected. His skin cancer and peripheral neuropathy of the left, lower extremity are denied due to lack of evidence linking them to herbicide exposure during service. The left knee disability is also denied.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is granted as service connected, but his obstructive sleep apnea is denied due to lack of evidence linking it to service.

The Board has denied service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and remanded the issues of service connection for diabetes mellitus type II, bilateral upper and lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, and hearing loss. The Veteran's PTSD is also being remanded.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a left ankle disability, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), irritable bowel syndrome with gastroesophageal reflux disease (IBS/GERD), hypertension, fatigue, and various knee and elbow disabilities has been denied as the evidence does not support the presence of these conditions during service or their current existence.

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss has been dismissed due to the appellant's death.