Hearing loss Board decisions

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were denied as there is no evidence of a current disability, service connection was not established due to lack of nexus between the conditions and service, and the criteria for presumptive service connection were not met.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for additional development due to missing service treatment records and unattempted private medical record requests.

The Veteran's PTSD is granted a 70 percent rating, and his bilateral hearing loss is denied an initial compensable rating.

The Board has remanded the claim of service connection for left ear hearing loss due to an inadequate VA examination and the need for a new opinion regarding the relationship between the Veteran's current hearing loss and his military service.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied as his hearing acuity did not warrant a higher than 50 percent evaluation. The claim for service connection for low back strain was also denied due to lack of in-service injury or incident.

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to his death, and no final decision could be made on the service connection claims.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for multiple sclerosis, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and left foot pain due to a lack of SSA records. The Veteran's SSA records are requested as they may contain relevant information.

The Veteran's hypertension is manifested by systolic pressures predominantly less than 160 and diastolic pressures less than 100; the Veteran requires continuous medication to control his hypertension. The appeal for an initial compensable evaluation for hypertension is denied.,The appeal regarding entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss is remanded due to a lack of in-service audiometric data under both ASA and ISO-ANSI standards, requiring additional examination.,The appeal regarding entitlement to service connection for stroke residuals is remanded due to the need for an opinion on whether it is at least as likely as not related to active service, including exposure to herbicides.,The appeal regarding entitlement to service connection for skin cancer is remanded due to the need for an opinion on whether it is at least as likely as not related to active service, including exposure to herbicides.,The appeal regarding entitlement to service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder (to include posttraumatic stress disorder) is remanded due to the need for an opinion on whether it is at least as likely as not related to active service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a total disability evaluation based on individual unemployability (TDIU) prior to January 16, 2014, due to insufficient evidence showing that his service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to work. The record did not raise a reasonable possibility of unemployability.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeals regarding the issues of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is service-connected, as it was caused by his in-service noise exposure and other factors.

The Veteran's service connection for left knee scars was granted with an effective date of March 19, 2017. The RO also granted increased ratings for his right and left knee disabilities, as well as entitlement to a TDIU, all with effective dates of September 16, 2020.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and remanded the claim of service connection for a heart condition due to a pre-decisional duty-to-assist error.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not render him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation prior to January 11, 2021; no single service-connected disability rendered him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation on or after January 11, 2021.

The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate opinion regarding whether the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is related to service. The claim will be reconsidered with a new medical opinion.

The Board has dismissed the claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss disorder as it is not within its jurisdiction due to a pending Supplemental Claim.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection were dismissed due to his withdrawal. The claim for increased rating for right ankle degenerative arthritis was remanded.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a currently present bilateral hearing loss disability for VA compensation purposes and denied service connection for TBI. The Veteran's PTSD is also being remanded for further evaluation.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus is granted. The Board has also remanded the issue of service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to a duty-to-assist error.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has been rated as noncompensable, with the most recent VA examination showing no worse than Level II in both ears. The Board found that compensable hearing loss for purposes of VA regulations has not been shown.