Hearing loss Board decisions

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including Parkinson's disease and tremors, prevent him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation. The Board has granted the TDIU.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss is denied.,Service connection for bilateral pes planus, respiratory disability (undiagnosed illness), left shoulder disability (undiagnosed illness), right shoulder disability (undiagnosed illness), sleep apnea, and cephalgia (undiagnosed illness) are remanded due to incomplete service records and the need for a VA examination.,The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss is denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current left ear hearing loss disability is related to in-service acoustic trauma and/or multiple in-service ear infections, granting service connection for this condition.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a need for an additional medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's left ear hearing loss is related to his active service.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for residuals of gallbladder removal and a psychiatric disorder due to incomplete records. The decision on bilateral hearing loss remains denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and obstructive sleep apnea have been denied. The cervical spine disability claim is being remanded due to a duty-to-assist error.

The Veteran's hypertension is rated at 60% from January 19, 2010. The Board denied a higher rating for hypertension and granted TDIU effective from January 19, 2010.,Prior to January 19, 2010, the Veteran did not meet the schedular requirements for TDIU due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied the Veteran's petitions to readjudicate his claims of service connection for thyroid carcinoma, bilateral hearing loss, prostate cancer, ischemic heart disease, and hypertension as no new and relevant evidence was presented.

The Veteran's hearing loss is denied as there was no in-service noise exposure and the condition did not manifest within one year of separation from service.,The Veteran's right hand discomfort claim is denied as he does not have a current diagnosis of this condition.,The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as it began during or immediately after service, meeting the criteria for presumptive service connection.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss. The claim will be reconsidered with a new VA medical examination and opinion.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss is remanded due to the AOJ not taking appropriate action to request clarification regarding a January 2022 private examination.

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss claim is being remanded due to the need for additional VA examinations and the potential need to obtain Social Security Administration records.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable evaluation for bilateral hearing loss is being remanded due to a pre-decisional error in the duty to assist. The Board cannot grant the claim at this time as there is no evidence of a compensable level of hearing loss.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss was denied by the Board. The evidence showed that his hearing acuity, as measured by Maryland CNC speech recognition test and pure tone audiometry, did not meet the criteria for a rating in excess of 10 percent.

The Board has remanded the claims of entitlement to service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and for an eye disability due to potential errors in obtaining relevant medical records.,Specifically, the Veteran's VA treatment records do not indicate that audiometric testing was performed, which is necessary to determine if a hearing loss disability exists. Additionally, no opinion regarding the relationship between any current eye disability and service participation in a toxic exposure risk activity (TERA) has been provided.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is attributable to his active service and grants the claim for service connection.

The Veteran's claims for increased disability ratings and service connection have been dismissed due to his death.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to the lack of evidence showing a current disability meeting VA's definition of hearing loss.,Service connection for left and right foot conditions, including hallux valgus, is remanded as there are insufficient medical opinions regarding their onset during or after service.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are denied as they did not manifest during service or within one year of separation, and there is no evidence linking these conditions to service.,Service connection for a left foot skin disability (plantar warts) is also denied due to lack of current diagnosis.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service connected. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is remanded due to inadequate opinion.