Hearing loss Board decisions

The Veteran's cause of death was granted service connection, and the surviving spouse (Appellant) has already been awarded Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) benefits. The appeal is dismissed as there are no live issues or claims remaining.

The Board has remanded the case for further development to address the Veteran's reports of loud noise exposure during service and its relation to his hearing loss.

The Board has remanded the claims for athlete's foot, back disability, neck disability, right ankle disability, left ankle disability, left knee disability, right knee disability, bilateral foot disability, bilateral hearing loss, and obstructive sleep apnea due to duty-to-assist errors.

The Veteran's appeal for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus and service connection for bilateral hearing loss was denied. The Board found no legal basis to grant a higher schedular rating for tinnitus or separate ratings for each ear, and there is no evidence of chronic hearing loss during service or within the presumptive period post-service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates and increased ratings are remanded due to procedural issues, but no specific effective date or rating is assigned.

The Veteran's service-connected left ear hearing loss did not meet the criteria for a compensable disability rating, as his audiometric test results were noncompensable.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for hearing loss. The claims of service connection for anemia, dermatitis, and right knee condition are remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus should be remanded due to a duty to assist error. The results of an audiometric test performed in July 2019 are needed to substantiate these claims.

The rating reduction from 20 percent to 10 percent for painful right leg varicosity scarring was not proper, and the 10 percent rating is restored effective February 1, 2021. The compensable ratings for perianal warts, bilateral hearing loss, and separate right leg scars are remanded.

The Veteran's claims for hypertension, bilateral hearing loss, and right foot disorder were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating for hypertension or establish qualifying hearing loss or a chronic right foot disorder.,The Veteran was also denied service connection for his claimed conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus were granted due to the diseases being chronic conditions that may be presumed to have been incurred in service. The claim for service connection for vertigo was denied as there is no current diagnosis or persistent symptoms.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss was denied because the new evidence received after the March 2011 rating decision did not provide any information suggesting he has a current bilateral hearing loss disability for VA purposes.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is characterized by Level II in the left ear and Level I in the right ear, resulting in a noncompensable rating.,There is no evidence of service connection for left lower extremity neuropathy. The disorder was not shown during service or within many years thereafter.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and a higher rating for degenerative joint disease with facet arthropathy of lumbar spine. The Veteran's claim for an increased rating remains pending.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left ear hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there is no evidence of an in-service injury or disease related to these conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, lumbar spine disability, cervicothoracic spine pain, left knee pain, right knee pain, right ankle pain, right shoulder impingement syndrome, TMJ disorder, and unspecified trauma- and stressor-related disorder. The evidence did not support a nexus between these conditions and service.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus but has remanded the issue of service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to a lack of audiometric testing in the prior VA examination.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, neurobehavioral condition, and psychiatric disorder due to pre-decisional duty-to-assist errors. Service connection for tinnitus is granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is related to his military noise exposure and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for Parkinson's disease, bilateral hearing loss, and cause of death due to or as a consequence of shock, cardiac arrest, hypoxia, and coronary artery disease. The AOJ is instructed to obtain VA opinions regarding the nature and etiology of these conditions, including any potential link to in-service exposure to herbicide agents.