Hearing loss Board decisions

The Board has restored the Veteran's hearing loss disability rating from 10 percent to 20 percent, effective August 1, 2020.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for cervical spine disability and right hip disability due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors.

The Board has decided to remand the cases for additional development due to pre-decisional duty-to-assist errors. The Veteran's claims of service connection and initial evaluation for various conditions are being reviewed.

Service connection is granted for sensorineural hearing loss and tinnitus in the right ear, both determined to be due to noise exposure during military service. Other claims are remanded.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, right knee pain/strain, left knee pain/strain, a left ankle disability, and tinnitus due to duty-to-assist errors. The Veteran's active service included Southwest Asia theater of operations.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, but remanded the issue of service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to insufficient evidence in the record.,The Veteran's tinnitus is found to have started during his military service and he was exposed to noise hazards. However, the VA examiner did not find a direct link between his current hearing loss and his military service.

Service connection for bilateral hearing loss and bruxism is denied. The Veteran's major depression disorder (MDD) warrants a rating of 70 percent, but not higher.,TDIU claim is also denied.

The Board has granted service connection for right knee PFPS and right knee arthritis, but denied the remaining claims including bilateral hearing loss, female problems (including lack of sex drive and fibroids), left hip condition, right hip condition, lower back condition, and bilateral foot condition.

The Veteran's TDIU is granted based on his service-connected PTSD, effective from August 20, 2019. The decision was made due to the Veteran's unemployability caused by PTSD symptoms.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and remanded the claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder (anxiety disorder with alcohol use disorder). The decision is pending further examination and opinion.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a lung condition and bilateral hearing loss, finding that there is no causal relationship between these conditions and his military service. The decision also dismissed the claim for an increased rating for chloracne.

The Board denied an earlier effective date for service connection of peripheral vestibular disorder with hearing loss, tinnitus, and oscillopsia associated with bilateral hearing loss due to a March 1990 rating decision on the grounds that there was no clear and unmistakable error (CUE). The Veteran's claim for dizziness as secondary to treatment received for service-connected bilateral hearing loss was not raised prior to the March 1990 rating decision.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been remanded due to the submission of new evidence that is relevant to the issues. The Board finds a need for a VA examination to address the nature and etiology of the Veteran's claimed conditions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for a neck condition, right ear hearing loss, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to procedural errors in obtaining necessary medical records and providing adequate VA opinions.

The Veteran's claim for a bilateral hearing loss disability is denied as he does not have a current disability for VA purposes.,The Veteran's claims for an acquired psychiatric disorder, diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy (upper and lower extremities), erectile dysfunction, vestibular disability, skin condition, heart condition, and respiratory condition are remanded due to the need for further development of evidence.,The Veteran's claim for a bilateral kidney condition is remanded as it may be related to his service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss is granted as service-connected, with a noncompensable rating for bilateral hearing loss.,Service connection for left lower extremity radiculopathy and right lower extremity radiculopathy is denied.,Service connection for thoracolumbar spine condition (lower back condition) is denied.

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss is characterized by numeric designation Level I, resulting in a noncompensable rating. The appeal for a compensable rating for her right ear hearing loss has been denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for asthma, tinnitus, and bilateral hearing loss have been dismissed as moot due to the grant of these conditions in a subsequent rating decision.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is due to noise exposure during his active duty service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has found that the Veteran's right ear hearing loss was aggravated by service, warranting service connection on an aggravation basis. The left ear hearing loss issue requires further examination and evidence to determine its current severity.