Hearing loss Board decisions

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and right knee disability are rated at 50% each, resulting in a combined rating of 100%. The Board has granted TDIU based on the severity of these disabilities preventing him from securing and following substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's claim of entitlement to increased ratings for his left ear hearing loss is being remanded due to the receipt of additional evidence since the April 2015 SOC.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied due to lack of evidence linking the claimed conditions to his military service.

The appeal for a compensable initial evaluation for hemorrhoids is dismissed. The appeals for service connection for sleep apnea, a rating in excess of 20 percent for surgical incision of the right heel from September 23, 2009, entitlement to a compensable initial evaluation for bilateral hearing loss, and service connection for a neck disability are all REMANDED.

The Board has remanded several issues due to the need for additional development and examination. The Veteran's claims for service connection are not supported by evidence of a nexus between his current conditions and service.

The Veteran's bilateral plantar fasciitis was denied a rating in excess of 10 percent prior to July 26, 2016 and granted a 30 percent rating since then. The Veteran's hearing loss was denied a compensable rating prior to January 18, 2010 and granted a 20 percent rating since that date.,The Board found the VA examination for bilateral plantar fasciitis inadequate due to lack of discussion on functional effects.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. The claims of service connection for erectile dysfunction, diabetes mellitus, type II, and bilateral upper and lower extremity peripheral neuropathy are remanded due to conflicting service records regarding the Veteran's duty station in Korea.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss disability, finding that these conditions were present in service and are related to service.

Service connection is granted for a heart condition, diagnosed as atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and coronary artery disease. The Veteran's service in Vietnam during the Gulf War era is presumed to have exposed him to herbicide agents, which are associated with ischemic heart diseases like his current condition.,Service connection is denied for bilateral hearing loss. The evidence does not establish that the Veteran has a present disability of bilateral hearing loss.,Service connection is denied for TBI and its residuals. The Veteran's service treatment records do not indicate any head trauma, and there is no indication of such in post-service medical records.,Service connection is remanded for stroke residuals. The Veteran was exposed to herbicide agents during his Gulf War era service.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, but the case of bilateral hearing loss is remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, prevent him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment due to his limited communication skills and safety concerns with his hearing impairment.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability, finding that his preexisting hearing loss did not increase in severity during service and thus no aggravation occurred. The Veteran had a history of hearing acuity issues prior to service but no significant change was noted upon separation.

The Veteran's cause of death, myocardial infarction, is not service-connected as his service-connected conditions did not contribute to his death and no other connection was established.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently rated at 40 percent, but the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted based on the evidence of record.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted, and his bilateral hearing loss and rash are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities are at least in equipoise as to whether they prevent her from securing or following substantially gainful employment. The Board grants a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities. The Veteran's sarcoidosis is remanded for further examination and opinion regarding the need for high dose corticosteroids.

The Veteran's claim for service connection to left foot metatarsalgia has been reopened, but the claims for bilateral hearing loss and marijuana use have been denied.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinea pedis, bilateral hearing loss, left shoulder disability, right shoulder disability, left knee disability, and right thumb disability. The case is being remanded to obtain additional VA examinations and opinions.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss did not manifest to a compensable degree at any time during the appeal period, and therefore, his claim for a compensable initial rating is denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's currently diagnosed bilateral hearing loss is etiologically related to his active military service, and therefore grants entitlement to service connection for this condition.