Hearing loss Board decisions

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities are not sufficient by themselves to preclude him from obtaining or maintaining any form of substantially gainful employment consistent with his education and occupational experience.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and increased disability ratings for the Veteran's knee disabilities. The appeal is now pending on issues related to TDIU.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a low back disability and bilateral hip disabilities, as well as his petition to reopen previously denied claims for gallbladder and stomach ulcer conditions. The appeal is dismissed for the remaining issues.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining VA and private audiological treatment records, scheduling a VA audiology evaluation, and issuing a statement of the case regarding SMC based on the need for regular aid and attendance of another person or on account of housebound status.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating higher than 40 percent for his bilateral hearing loss is being remanded due to the need for additional medical examination and records.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for a heart disability, to include as due to exposure to an herbicidal agent and as secondary to a service-connected disability is dismissed. The Veteran's appeal for special monthly compensation based on the need for regular aid and attendance or being housebound is dismissed. The Veteran's appeal for total rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disability is granted.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have resulted in permanent and total disability that is due to the loss or loss of use of one or both lower extremities so as to preclude locomotion without the aid of braces, crutches, canes or a wheelchair. As such, he is entitled to a certificate of eligibility for assistance in acquiring specially adapted housing.

The Board has granted service connection for sleep apnea, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus. The Veteran's increased rating claims for lumbosacral strain, cervical spine subluxation, right elbow epicondylitis, allergic rhinitis, and asthma are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining VA examination reports and medical opinions.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and arranging for a VA medical examination.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to determine the nature and etiology of his claimed hearing loss, tinnitus, and heart disability.

The Board found that the Veteran's right ear hearing loss disability pre-existed service and was not aggravated by service, thus denying his claim for service connection.

The Veteran does not have bilateral hearing loss that relates to service and the claim is denied.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed as the appellant withdrew their appeal prior to a decision being made.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for further development and to provide a medical opinion regarding the etiology of his claimed conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including scheduling a VA examination to assess the severity of his bilateral hearing loss and right acoustic schwannoma, as well as determining whether these conditions are related to service. The TDIU claim will also be addressed.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is being remanded due to inconsistencies in previous VA examinations and the need for a new examination to determine the etiology of his hearing disorder.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is manifested by puretone thresholds, averaged over the frequencies of 1000, 2000, 3000, and 4000 Hertz (Hz), no greater than 51 decibels (dB) for the right ear and 51 dB for the left ear, and speech recognition scores no lower than 92 percent for the right ear and 72 percent for the left ear. The criteria for a compensable initial disability rating have not been met.

The Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is not related to his in-service noise exposure and the preponderance of evidence does not support a finding that it was incurred or aggravated by service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss and a back disability are being remanded due to confusion regarding his representation, the passage of time since prior VA examinations, and the need to obtain additional medical records.