Hearing loss Board decisions

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, despite meeting the schedular criteria for TDIU.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to potential inaccuracies in the audiometric test results from his separation examination. The Veteran is asked to provide records of treatment from a private ENT physician he saw in 2011, and VA will assist in obtaining any relevant VA treatment records.

The Board denied service connection for rhabdomyolysis of the arms, bilateral hearing loss, and a bilateral knee disorder due to lack of evidence showing these conditions were incurred in or related to service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus is granted, and his earlier effective date for right ear hearing loss disability rating is granted to February 11, 2005. The issue of an initial compensable disability rating for bilateral hearing loss is remanded.

The Veteran's claim for a higher initial rating for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss disability is remanded due to the need for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of his condition.

The petition to reopen the claim of entitlement to service connection for hearing loss is denied. The earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for tinnitus is also denied. The claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus is denied.

The Board has denied service connection for hearing loss, and the claims for bilateral knee conditions, heart condition (also claimed as atrioventricular block and endocarditis), anxiety, and depression are remanded due to a lack of evidence.

The Board has decided to remand the cases for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and conducting VA examinations.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not service-connected as they did not manifest to a compensable degree within the applicable presumptive period, or for a condition noted in service, continuity of symptomatology is not established.,Service connection for prostate cancer and diabetes mellitus cannot be granted as there is no evidence of their onset during service or related to herbicide exposure. The Veteran's skin disorder is not service-connected due to lack of evidence of its onset during service.

The Board has remanded the case due to several issues, including obtaining an opinion on the impact of PTSD medication on employment and verifying the Veteran's income since October 2011.

The Veteran's PTSD and bilateral hearing loss have worsened, necessitating new evaluations to determine appropriate ratings.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are related to his in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss is denied.,The Veteran's claim for a disability rating in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus is denied. The maximum schedular rating available for recurrent tinnitus has been assigned.,The effective date for the grant of service connection for tinnitus as secondary to bilateral hearing loss is denied, and it remains at June 28, 2012.

The appeal for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss is dismissed. The claim for service connection for Meniere's disease is remanded.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions, including coronary artery disease, unspecified depressive disorder with anxious distress, alcohol-related disorder, diabetes mellitus, tinnitus, and hearing loss, prevent him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened, and the Board has found new and material evidence to support these claims. The cases are being remanded for further examination and opinion regarding the nature and etiology of the claimed conditions.

The Veteran's service connection claim for hearing loss is denied as he does not have a current disability.,His back disability was initially rated at 10 percent prior to July 29, 2014 and then granted a 20 percent rating effective from that date. The radiculopathy of his lower extremities has been rated at 10 percent.

The Veteran withdrew all his appeals, including those related to diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy of the lower and upper extremities, hearing loss, PTSD, hypertensive vascular disease, and vision problems associated with diabetes mellitus.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability has been rated at 0 percent since April 2013. The most recent VA examination in April 2018 showed no more than level II impairment in both ears, which does not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for left ear hearing loss is denied. The Veteran is granted a 20 percent rating, but no more, for his lumbar spine disability with radicular symptoms of the right lower extremity prior to September 4, 2013 and in excess of 20 percent thereafter.