Hearing loss Board decisions

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss and hand rash have been granted. The claims for residuals of left arm fracture and residuals of left toe fracture remain pending.

The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss is denied. The issue of entitlement to a higher rating for PTSD is remanded due to the absence of documentation regarding his current symptoms.

The Veteran withdrew their appeal for service connection of hearing loss in the left ear, so the claim is dismissed.

The Board denied entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss and remanded the issue of secondary service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the right leg due to a service-connected lumbar spine condition.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of a left hip disability other than left lower extremity radiculopathy and denied service connection for this condition. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is also denied as there is no evidence showing he meets the criteria for a disability under VA compensation standards.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right ear hearing loss, status post assault injury right shoulder with residual loss of strength, and a rating in excess of 10 percent for status post injury gastrocsoleus muscle with residual atrophy, left calf. The TDIU claim is also remanded.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable evaluation for bilateral hearing loss is remanded due to the lack of Maryland CNC speech recognition testing in his May 2015 audiogram, and he asserts that his hearing loss is worse than reflected by a March 2014 VA examination.

The Veteran's right ankle condition is denied as there is no evidence of a current disability that began during service or is related to an in-service injury, event, or disease.,PTSD service connection is remanded due to the need for a new VA examination to determine if it preexisted service and was aggravated by service.,Bilateral hearing loss service connection is remanded as there are no audiometric standards used in the April 2015 VA examination, requiring conversion from ASA to ISO-ANSI standards.,Tinnitus secondary to PTSD or a service-connected disability is remanded due to its intertwining with the PTSD claim and need for a new VA examination.,Hypertension service connection is remanded as there are no audiometric readings provided in the April 2015 VA examination, requiring conversion from ASA to ISO-ANSI standards. Additionally, it needs a VA examination to determine if it is secondary to PTSD or medication for any service-connected condition.,Gastrointestinal and acid reflux conditions service connection are remanded as they are intertwined with the PTSD claim and need a new VA examination.,Vertigo service connection is remanded due to the need for a new VA examination.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his bilateral hearing loss was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a compensable rating prior to May 11, 2017, or a rating in excess of 10 percent from that date.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, recurrent tinnitus, and a skin condition due to herbicide exposure are denied. The Board has remanded the Veteran's PTSD and hypertension claims.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral knee pain and inflammation, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were incurred or aggravated by military service.

The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, but denied the merits of the claim as there is no evidence of a current disability or link to service.

The Veteran's hearing loss disability needs to be re-evaluated due to his testimony suggesting it might have worsened since the last VA examination.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service connected. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss claim is remanded for further development.

The Board has decided to remand the cases of the Veteran's right ankle sprain and bilateral hearing loss for further evaluation due to recent testimony indicating an increase in severity since his last examination.

The Veteran's claim to reopen service connection for hypertension has been granted. Service connection for bilateral sensorineural hearing loss and tinnitus is denied.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is granted a 20 percent evaluation.,Service connection for an immune disorder, throat polyps, colon polyps, breast mass, and hypertension secondary to exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune is denied. The acquired psychiatric disorder (depressive disorder due to another medical condition) related to service-connected bilateral hearing loss is granted.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral and left ear hearing loss, finding that there was no evidence to support a link between his current hearing loss conditions and his military service.

The appeals for service connection for skin cancer of the nose, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus have been dismissed due to the Veteran's death.

The Veteran's left ear hearing loss is considered to have started during his military service and the Board has granted service connection for this condition.