Hearing loss Board decisions

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for various conditions due to incomplete development and need for additional medical opinions.

The Board has granted the Veteran's appeals to reopen service connection for bilateral hearing loss and erectile dysfunction, finding new and material evidence. Service connection is also granted for prostate disability as secondary to PTSD.

The Veteran's appeal as to the issue of entitlement to an initial rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD, to include major depressive disorder and history of alcohol use disorder is dismissed. The issues pertaining to entitlement to service connection for a left ankle disorder, migraine headaches, and bilateral hearing loss are remanded.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus due to a lack of a VA examination addressing these conditions. The Veteran was exposed to noise in service, but no such examination has been conducted.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's current hearing difficulties did not meet the regulatory requirements for a ratable disability. However, it granted service connection for bilateral tinnitus, concluding that the Veteran's symptoms were likely related to in-service acoustic trauma.

The Veteran's application to reopen a claim of service connection for a left knee disorder is granted. The claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied. The rating in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus is denied.

The Board has dismissed the issue of service connection for a back disorder due to the Veteran's withdrawal. The issues of service connection for sleep apnea and for a compensable evaluation for bilateral hearing loss are remanded.

The Board dismissed the appeal as there is no longer a case or controversy pending before the Board due to the full grant of benefits sought on appeal. The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for TDIU was denied.

The Board granted service connection for the Veteran's left ear hearing loss disability, finding that it is related to his in-service acoustic trauma and resolving all reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, but the claims are remanded due to incomplete records and need further examination.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are granted service connection. The Veteran's hypertension is remanded for further examination to determine if it is related to herbicide agent exposure in Vietnam.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the submission of new evidence after his Substantive Appeal was filed. The AOJ must consider this new evidence and issue a Supplemental Statement of the Case (SSOC).

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to concerns about the current severity of his service-connected bilateral hearing loss. A new VA audiology examination will be scheduled to determine this.

The Board denied VA payment for a powered mobility device, to include a motorized wheelchair, as the Veteran's medical records showed he could achieve adequate functional mobility without such devices through standard medical or rehabilitative treatments.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The cases of lumbar spine disability, bilateral knee disability, bilateral foot numbness, and bilateral foot strain are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, right ankle fracture residuals, diabetes mellitus type 2, tinnitus, and peripheral neuropathy of both lower extremities, have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. His total disability rating is currently at 80 percent.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating for tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, or back disability.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and nasal trauma are granted as service connected.

The appeal for service connection of a pulmonary disorder (claimed as asbestos exposure) is dismissed. The initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss is denied for the period prior to April 28, 2017. The claim for service connection of sleep apnea and an acquired psychiatric disorder is remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss prior to January 24, 2014 and 10 percent on and thereafter; an increased rating for residuals of TBI; and entitlement to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).