Hearing loss Board decisions

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is found to be related to his military service, specifically noise exposure during his time as a material supplyman. As such, the claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is granted.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate examination, and the Veteran's current left ear hearing loss is considered a disability based on audiometric testing. The issue is whether it is at least as likely as not that the hearing loss developed in service or is otherwise causally related to service.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was not shown as chronic in service and did not manifest to a compensable degree within the applicable presumptive period. Continuity of symptomatology is not established, and the disability is not otherwise etiologically related to an in-service injury or disease.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection have not been readjudicated due to lack of new and relevant evidence. The claims for bilateral hearing loss, an acquired psychiatric disorder including generalized anxiety disorder with persistent depressive disorder and phobic anxiety disorder, and sleep apnea are remanded as there is a duty to obtain additional medical opinions that address the onset and relationship of these conditions to service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for left ear hearing loss, hypertension, chronic obstructive lung disease, right upper extremity radiculopathy, left upper extremity radiculopathy, and residuals of a right foot injury are all denied. The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for lumbar spine disorder and bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for a lumbar spine disorder is also remanded.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were not granted service connection, and the claims are being remanded for further review.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate VA examination and incomplete service records. The Veteran's right ear hearing loss is being reviewed again with additional information.

The Board has granted service connection for a right ear hearing loss disability, finding that it is attributable to service.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus, finding that his current disabilities are etiologically related to his in-service noise exposure.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and remanded the claim of tinnitus due to inadequate medical opinions.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus as secondary to the service-connected bilateral hearing loss disability.,Service connection is established for bilateral hearing loss due to exposure to acoustic trauma during active duty, with reasonable doubt resolved in favor of the Veteran.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hyperlipidemia, bilateral hearing loss, right hand numbness, a psychiatric disability (to include anxiety, depression, insomnia, and short term memory loss), and bilateral gout of the feet and knees have all been denied as there is no evidence to support these conditions were incurred or aggravated by military service.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for his left ring finger condition was denied as the evidence did not show that it most closely approximated amputation or any other disabling condition affecting another finger.,Service connection for hearing loss was denied because there is no reliable evidence showing that the Veteran has a hearing loss disability under VA regulations.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss is remanded due to the lack of an updated VA examination in over seven years, despite multiple attempts by the AOJ. The Board notes that special procedures should be followed for incarcerated Veterans.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus did not prevent him from securing or following substantially gainful employment, so his claim for a TDIU was denied.

The Veteran's death was not service-connected, but the appellant is eligible for nonservice-connected burial benefits as he/she paid for the funeral expenses and meets the criteria of an eligible claimant.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to incomplete and inadequate medical opinions, as well as missing service records. The Veteran's claim for bilateral hearing loss will be reviewed again with a new examination and opinion.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection of bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were denied as the earliest date of submission was April 10, 2020.

The Board denied an earlier effective date for the award of a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) and eligibility for Dependents' Educational Assistance (DEA). The Veteran's bilateral knee, low back, and hearing loss disabilities were found to have worsened prior to October 24, 2013, but no other service-connected conditions worsened in the one-year period preceding the claim.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional service records and determine if his sleep apnea is related to military service or obesity, which may be a result of his service-connected disabilities. The issues of entitlement to higher ratings for sciatica peripheral neuropathy and service connection for hearing loss are also being remanded.