Hearing loss Board decisions

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss but granted service connection for tinnitus, attributing the latter to military noise exposure.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding no evidence of a disability under VA criteria and noting that the Veteran did not have a hearing loss disability in either ear.

The Veteran's hearing loss has been rated at 0 percent since September 25, 2021. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating due to the consistent and stable nature of his hearing acuity levels.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there is no evidence linking these conditions to his active duty service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied as he does not have a current disability.,A 30 percent rating, but no higher, for GERD is granted. The Veteran has symptoms of considerable impairment of health and the evidence shows that his GERD causes considerable impairment of health.,The Veteran's cervical spine disability is rated at 10 percent as there is pain and some limitation of motion without more severe manifestations such as ankylosis or significant range of motion limitations.,The Veteran's thoracolumbar spine disability is rated at 10 percent due to the presence of pain and some limitation of motion, but without evidence of more severe manifestations like ankylosis or significant range of motion limitations.,The Veteran's TBI residuals are not shown to warrant a rating in excess of 10 percent as they do not meet the criteria for higher ratings under Diagnostic Code 8045.,The Veteran's psoriasis is not shown to manifest as characteristic lesions involving at least 5 percent of the entire body or requiring intermittent systemic therapy, thus preventing him from receiving a compensable rating.

The Board has remanded all service connection claims for accrued benefits purposes due to a failure to obtain relevant medical records and associate them with the claims file.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to a pre-decisional duty to assist error. The Veteran's service connection claims are being remanded for further adjudication.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable initial disability rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied, and the Board found that his service connection for plantar fasciitis should be remanded due to incomplete records from his National Guard service.

The Board has remanded the cases due to new evidence being added since the last decision, and the AOJ needs to review this new information before making a final determination.

The Veteran's claim for higher ratings for bilateral hearing loss, a separate compensable rating for weight loss associated with leukemia, and TDIU prior to July 17, 2023 is denied. The Veteran does not meet the criteria for these benefits based on the evidence of record.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to an incomplete record, specifically missing private treatment reports from Kaiser dated since 2017.

The Veteran's TDIU claim was denied as his service-connected conditions do not meet the schedular criteria for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and effective dates are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations, records review, and consideration of new evidence.,The Board is unable to make a determination on the merits of these issues without further development.

The Board has remanded all issues on appeal due to the need for additional verification of the Veteran's service periods and incomplete records. The claims will be reconsidered with this information.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for service connection of bilateral hearing loss, so the case is dismissed.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's in-service noise exposure likely caused his current condition. The decision is based on the Veteran's lay testimony and combat experience.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is service connected, but his bilateral hearing loss cannot be due to in-service noise exposure. The decision for hearing loss remains denied.

The Veteran's claims for lumbosacral strain with degenerative arthritis, left ear hearing loss, sinusitis, and allergic rhinitis have been granted. The claim for right ear hearing loss is remanded.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left ear hearing loss and glaucoma, finding that he did not have current disabilities as defined by VA standards.

The Board denied the Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and remanded several issues, including those related to cardiomyopathy, valvular heart disease, GERD, and tinnitus. The Veteran was granted a total rating based upon individual unemployability from January 10, 2020.