Hearing loss Board decisions

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, TDIU, psychiatric disorder (anxiety disorder and PTSD), stomach disorder (GERD and hiatal hernia), bilateral knee disorder, and bilateral hip disorder due to failure of the Veteran to report for scheduled VA examinations. The case is being returned to the AOJ for further development.

The Veteran's service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss, type two diabetes mellitus, and skin cancer are denied. The Veteran's erectile dysfunction claim is remanded for further examination.

The Veteran's initial claim for an initial compensable rating for service-connected bilateral hearing loss prior to September 28, 2013 was denied. An initial 10 percent rating is granted on and after September 28, 2013.,A heart disorder, including as due to in-service exposure to herbicide agents, remains an issue for remand.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and left knee condition due to incomplete service treatment records. The Veteran will need a VA examination to determine if his current conditions are related to his military service.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, granted the claim for service connection for tinnitus, and remanded the remaining claims of service connection for urinary tract disability. A VA examination is required to determine the etiology of the Veteran's hearing loss and urinary tract disabilities.

The Veteran's total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) was effective from March 1, 2010. The Appellant is not entitled to enhanced DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C. § 1311(a)(2) as the Veteran did not have a continuous period of at least eight years of total disability prior to his death.

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

The Board denied the Veteran's claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there was no evidence linking his current hearing loss to his military service. The first objective clinical documentation of hearing loss was in May 2015, approximately 24 years after service separation.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability has been manifested by loss of hearing acuity measured at no worse than Level II in the right ear and Level IV in the left ear. The Board finds that the preponderance of the evidence is against assignment of a compensable rating for hearing loss during any period at issue in this appeal.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has been rated at 10 percent since February 2012. The Board finds that a new examination is needed to assess the severity of his hearing loss.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability, bilateral hearing loss, and gastrointestinal disability are all remanded for further development. The sinusitis and gastrointestinal issues have been remanded as well.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, prostate cancer (claimed as secondary to herbicide exposure), and an eye condition are remanded due to the need for additional development. Specifically, a VA examination is required to determine if the Veteran has hearing loss that meets VA criteria, and whether his prostate cancer may be related to his service-connected thyroid disability.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for lumbar strain, right ear hearing loss, PTSD, and bilateral hip disability as new and material evidence was not submitted to reopen these previously denied claims.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss and remanded the issue of an increased disability rating for his left knee disability.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for a compensable rating prior to May 5, 2016, and in excess of 20 percent thereafter for bilateral hearing loss due to missing treatment records. The AOJ is instructed to obtain all outstanding records, including the July 2014 VA audiogram display and updated VA treatment records from March 2016 to the present.

The Veteran's major depressive disorder is granted as secondary to his service-connected disabilities. The effective dates for the service connection of bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are denied.

The Board has granted service connection for right ear hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's current hearing loss is related to in-service noise exposure. The decision resolves reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for service-connected bilateral hearing loss is remanded due to the need for updated VA examination and treatment records.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the claim of entitlement to service connection for inguinal hernia. The claims for back disorder, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, myeloma, peripheral neuropathy (left upper extremity), peripheral neuropathy (left lower extremity), radiculopathy (right lower extremity), and an acquired psychiatric disorder (major depressive disorder and posttraumatic stress disorder) are remanded.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has worsened since his last VA examination in August 2010. The Board has remanded the case to schedule him for a VA examination and consider whether he is entitled to TDIU based on his service-connected disabilities.