Hearing loss Board decisions

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, and sinusitis due to insufficient evidence in the record. The Veteran's claim for sinusitis is being remanded because of inadequate examination reports.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for an initial compensable disability rating for rhinitis and a higher disability rating for bilateral hearing loss, and has remanded the case to obtain additional medical opinions regarding the Veteran's hearing loss.

The Veteran's claim for a TDIU is granted with an effective date of January 31, 2017. The decision also corrects a clear and unmistakable error by granting service connection for major depression with a 70% initial rating effective January 31, 2017.

The Veteran's appeal for eligibility to direct payment of attorney fees based on past-due benefits awarded in an October 2020 Rating Decision has been dismissed because the appellant withdrew his appeal.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for right ear hearing loss disability and acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, anxiety, and unspecified depressive disorder due to new evidence submitted by the Veteran.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss has been reopened due to the submission of new evidence. The Board finds that there is a current disability, in-service event, and causal relationship between the conditions and active service, thus granting service connection.

The Veteran's request to readjudicate the claim for service connection for tension headaches has been granted.,The Veteran's request to readjudicate the claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss has been granted.

The Veteran's service-connected left ear hearing loss is currently rated as noncompensable, and the Board finds no persuasive evidence to warrant a higher rating.

The Veteran's claims for glaucoma and temporomandibular joint dysfunction have been dismissed as the Veteran withdrew these claims during a hearing.,New evidence has reopened previously denied claims for tinnitus, an acquired psychiatric disability (including PTSD), congestive heart failure, atrial fibrillation, COPD, chronic renal insufficiency, hypertension, prostate cancer, bilateral hearing loss, left knee disability, and right knee disability.

The Veteran's initial compensable rating claim for bilateral hearing loss is denied. The hypertension claim is remanded due to a duty to assist error.

The Veteran's disability rating for degenerative disc disease of the lumbosacral spine was restored to 20 percent effective June 1, 2020. The initial compensable ratings for hypertension and hearing loss were denied.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to a duty to assist error, and will provide further examination and opinion regarding the nature and cause of any obstructive sleep apnea and left ankle disability.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim of service connection for right ear hearing loss, finding that there is no current disability and insufficient evidence to establish a link between his military service and his claimed condition.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for athlete's foot (tinea pedis) is dismissed as the benefit has already been granted. The Veteran does not have a hearing loss disability for VA purposes, and his claims for bilateral knee disabilities and back disability are remanded due to inadequate pre-decisional duty to assist errors.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied, while his claim for tinnitus is granted.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability and right wrist strain were not found to have onset during service or be related to in-service noise exposure or a fall, respectively. The Board denied the claims for service connection.

The Board denied the claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, but granted the claim for tinnitus.

The Veteran's service connection claims for allergic rhinitis, bilateral hearing loss, and right knee sprain are granted. The effective date of the award is not specified.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss as there is no evidence of current disability in accordance with VA standards.

The Veteran's claims for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss, service connection for a perforated eardrum, and PTSD were denied as the Veteran failed to report for a VA examination without good cause. The appeals for these issues are dismissed.