Hearing loss Board decisions

The Board is remanding the case due to incomplete development of records, particularly from VA facilities where the Veteran received treatment between 1968 and 1980. The claims for right knee disability, left knee disability, and left ear hearing loss will be reconsidered after obtaining any outstanding records.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss prior to July 11, 2013, and a rating in excess of 10 percent thereafter was denied. The Board found that the disability picture is adequately described by the current schedular evaluation.

The Veteran's ankylosing spondylitis of the entire spine is rated at 100% from December 1, 2005 to February 28, 2011.,The Veteran's Crohn's disease is rated at 60% since June 18, 2003. The hearing loss disability ratings are discussed in detail below.

For the period from February 5, 2008 through March 24, 2010, the Veteran was found to be unemployable due to his service-connected disabilities, including PTSD and bilateral hearing loss disability. The Board granted a TDIU for this period.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is rated at 0 percent under the rating schedule, and an extraschedular evaluation was denied.,Service connection for erectile dysfunction as secondary to PTSD was granted. The Veteran's left hip femoral acetabular impingement was not found to be service-connected.,Service connection for a left hip disability (femoral acetabular impingement) was denied.

The Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is not service-connected as it did not manifest during or within one year after his military service and there is no medical evidence linking the condition to his active duty.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevent him from securing and maintaining substantially gainful employment, meeting the criteria for a total disability rating due to individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Veteran's appeal is being returned to the Board for additional development due to outstanding VA treatment records and a need to determine his employment status prior to April 25, 2012.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional examinations of his right knee disability and hearing loss, as the previous evaluations are deemed inadequate.

The Veteran's tinnitus was found to have manifested during active duty service, and the Board has granted service connection for this condition. The hearing loss claim is remanded due to a lack of medical evidence and need for further examination.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and sleep apnea did not manifest during service or are otherwise related to his military service, thus denying service connection for both conditions.

The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss is being remanded due to the failure of the Veteran to report for a VA examination scheduled in June 2016. The case will be readjudicated after scheduling another examination.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional VA examinations and consideration of new evidence. The claims include service connection for cardiovascular disease, a rating in excess of 10 percent for bilateral otitis media, and an increased rating for bilateral conductive hearing loss.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional development and examination of his right wrist disability, as well as issuance of a Supplemental Statement of the Case.

The Board found that the Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus did not warrant direct service connection because they were not related to service.,For TMJ, the Board found that it is at least as likely as not (50 percent or greater probability) that the Veteran's headaches are caused by his TMJ.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn, and the Board is dismissing the case.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for heart disease and an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there was no evidence to support these claims.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has been evaluated as noncompensable, with Level IV hearing in the right ear and Level II hearing in the left ear.

The Veteran's claims are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and providing VA examinations.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including a VA examination to address the etiology of the Veteran's metastatic malignant melanoma and Meniere's disease. The claims are currently pending.