Hearing loss Board decisions

The Veteran's social anxiety disorder with insomnia and depression has been granted a 100 percent rating, effective October 24, 2013. The Board also found that the Veteran’s service-connected eye disorder is related to his military service.

The Board denied service connection for atrial fibrillation and denied entitlement to a compensable rating prior to September 27, 2017, and a rating in excess of 10 percent thereafter for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received for the claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and allergic rhinitis, but not for the claim of service connection for a right knee disorder. The appeal is therefore granted for the claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and allergic rhinitis.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to incomplete medical records and the need for a VA audiological examination to determine if the Veteran's hearing loss began during service, is caused by his diabetes mellitus, or was aggravated by it.

The claim for service connection of a back disability has been reopened, but the issue remains remanded. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is rated as noncompensable. His persistent adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood associated with his bilateral hearing loss is also remanded.

The Board has remanded the claim of entitlement to service connection for sleep apnea, as it is unclear whether this condition is related to the Veteran's service-connected PTSD.,The Veteran needs to undergo a VA examination to determine if his current sleep apnea is caused or aggravated by his service-connected PTSD.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran did not have a current disability as defined by VA regulations. The Board also found no evidence of continuous symptoms since service separation or chronicity of disease from service.

The Veteran's service connection claim for multiple myeloma is granted due to presumed exposure to herbicide agents in Vietnam. The claims for bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus are remanded as the VA examiner did not provide an opinion on their etiology.

The Board has remanded the cases for additional development, including obtaining updated radiation dose estimates and hearing loss treatment records. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is being evaluated based on noise trauma exposure in service, while his hypogonadism claim requires consideration of his reported exposure to ionizing radiation during service.

The Veteran's claim for bilateral hearing loss is denied as there is no medical evidence supporting a current diagnosis of hearing loss.,The Veteran's claims for radiculopathy of the left upper and right upper extremities, as well as radiculopathy of the left and right lower extremities, are denied as there is no current diagnosis of these conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's in-service noise exposure likely caused his long-standing ringing in his ears. Service connection was denied for hearing loss of the left ear due to lack of evidence linking it to service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not prevent him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation prior to April 17, 2012. However, beginning on April 17, 2012, his combined disability rating was 100 percent.

The Veteran's claim for service connection of tinnitus is granted. The claims for increased ratings for right shoulder disability and bilateral hearing loss are remanded due to the need for additional examinations.

The Board has determined that the record is not ready for appellate review due to incomplete information, and it is therefore REMANDED for further development.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and consideration. The Veteran's claims of service connection for a lumbar spine disability and an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, anxiety disorder, and depressive disorder, are being reviewed due to lack of VA examination opinions.

The Veteran's claims for PTSD, left knee disorder, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus were denied as the evidence did not meet the criteria for reopening his previously denied claims. The Board found that he failed to appear for VA examinations on two separate occasions without good cause.

The Board has reopened the claims for left shoulder/arm pain, liver mass, right ear hearing loss disability, back disability, shin splints, right knee disability, sleep apnea, GERD, and PTSD. However, service connection is not granted for any of these conditions.

The Board has decided to remand the case for further action on the claim of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to in-service noise exposure. The Veteran's normal hearing at separation does not necessarily indicate no in-service loss of hearing acuity, and a new VA examination is needed.

The Board has found that updated examinations are necessary to evaluate the Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss and intractable headaches due to their long periods of time since last examination.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for service-connected left ear hearing loss is denied. The current noncompensable rating remains unchanged.