Hearing loss Board decisions

The Board has remanded the case due to additional development being required. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was rated at 10% prior to March 1, 2017 and at 30% from May 20, 2019 to October 12, 2021.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has been rated as noncompensable throughout the appeal period. The Board found that his disability picture did not more nearly approximate the degree required for a higher rating at any point during the appeal. For TDIU prior to January 19, 2010, the evidence does not support a finding of unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's service-connected left ear hearing loss, tinnitus, and vertigo are granted a 100% rating effective April 9, 2013.

The Board has remanded several issues related to the Veteran's service-connected conditions, including Meniere's disease, peripheral vestibular disorders, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus. The issues are being held in abeyance due to their interrelated nature.

The Board finds that the Veteran does not meet the threshold element of his service connection claim for a left ear hearing loss disability as he does not have hearing loss for VA purposes in the left ear.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate reasoning in previous VA examinations and a need for an addendum opinion addressing whether the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is related to acoustic trauma during service.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining VA treatment records and a toxic exposure risk activity (TERA) memorandum. The Veteran's respiratory disorder, to include COPD, will be examined by VA to determine its onset during service or its relation to in-service exposures.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain an addendum opinion from the September 27, 2023 examiner regarding whether the Veteran's current hearing loss is related to service. The examiner must address the decibel shifts in the Veteran's right ear hearing acuity between entrance and separation.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to obtain or maintain substantially gainful employment from November 28, 2017. The Board has remanded the case for further consideration of a TDIU prior to November 28, 2017 on an extraschedular basis.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is granted as service-connected.,The Veteran's vertigo secondary to his service-connected tinnitus is granted as service-connected.,The Veteran's cervical spine disability is remanded for further examination and opinion.,The Veteran's lumbar spine disability is remanded for further examination and opinion.,The Veteran's right shoulder disability is remanded for further examination and opinion.,The Veteran's right elbow disability is remanded for further examination and opinion.,The Veteran's bilateral upper extremity finger and/or hand disability is remanded for further examination and opinion.,The Veteran's gastrointestinal disorder (GERD) is remanded for further examination and opinion.,The Veteran's hernia is remanded for further examination and opinion.,The Veteran's hypertension to include as due to Camp Lejeune service is remanded for further examination and opinion.,The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder is remanded for further examination and opinion.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to failure to substantially comply with previous remand instructions, specifically regarding obtaining the complete August 19, 2015, audiogram results. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is being reviewed again for service connection.

The Board has remanded the claims for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, diabetes, bilateral upper extremity peripheral neuropathy, and bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy due to incomplete development regarding the Veteran's exposure history.

The Board has determined that additional evidence is needed to decide the claims for service connection and rating increases. The Veteran's VA treatment records, CAPRI records, and examinations are being requested.

The Board found that prior to June 20, 2015, the Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not preclude him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for a right wrist disorder, hepatitis C, back disorder, and bilateral hearing loss due to outstanding treatment records and the need for additional medical opinions. The claims are being returned to the AOJ for further development.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for toenail fungus, finding that it did not originate in service and is not otherwise etiologically related to service. The Board also remanded the issue of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss.,For the hearing loss issue, the Board found conflicting evidence regarding whether the Veteran had a hearing disability at any point between May 21, 2013 (the date VA received his claim) and the May 2015 VA examination. The Board directed the RO to obtain another VA examination to reconcile these findings.

The Veteran's appeals for various disabilities have been dismissed due to his death.

The Veteran's request to reopen the finally disallowed claim of entitlement to service connection for adjustment disorder with anxiety is dismissed. The request to reopen the finally disallowed claim of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has improved since the last examination, and his current level of hearing acuity does not warrant a disability rating in excess of 10 percent.

The Board has granted service connection for right ear hearing loss.,The Veteran's claim for left hip injury is remanded and will be reviewed again.