Hearing loss Board decisions

The Veteran's right and left hip degenerative arthritis are granted as secondary to his service-connected left knee lateral meniscal tear.,The Veteran's right ear hearing loss is granted due to acoustic trauma in service.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for left ear hearing loss and an initial compensable rating for right ear hearing loss have been dismissed.,The Veteran's appeal for service connection for diabetes has been granted, with the benefit of doubt being conferred in his favor.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability has been rated as noncompensable since the appeal period began. The Board found that the evidence did not support a compensable rating at any time across the appeal period.

The Veteran's claims are being remanded due to duty-to-assist errors and the need for additional medical examinations. The issues of service connection for various conditions, including right knee osteoarthritis, left knee condition, acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD), left hip condition, hearing loss, and cervical degenerative joint disease, will be reconsidered.

The Veteran's claims for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss and service connection for right and left conditions were denied. The Board found no new evidence relevant to the claims.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to a lack of appropriate examinations and documentation regarding attempts to conduct those examinations. The issues include bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, bilateral plantar fasciitis, left knee disability, left hip disability, and spine disability.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied, while his claim for tinnitus is granted. The decision also confirms the diagnosis and acknowledges in-service noise exposure as a contributing factor to the Veteran's tinnitus.

The Veteran's initial claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss from October 28, 2011 to April 29, 2019 was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating during this period.,The Veteran is seeking an evaluation in excess of 30 percent and an earlier effective date for his major depressive disorder with an unspecified anxiety disorder from October 28, 2011 to May 5, 2019. The Board has remanded these issues due to a duty-to-assist error.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the need to obtain additional VA clinical records.,The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for lateral collateral ligament sprain, left ankle is being remanded as he has submitted evidence indicating an increase in his occupational impairment since the October 2016 examination.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for right ear hearing loss and entitlement to a compensable rating for left ear hearing loss are being remanded due to inadequate rationale provided by the VA examiner.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for right knee disability is being remanded as there was no medical evidence of any pre-service injury or condition, and the need for an examination with opinion regarding whether it clearly and unmistakably preexisted service.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for left knee disability is being remanded due to inadequate rationale provided by the VA examiner. The need for an examination with opinion regarding whether it was related to a February 1988 inservice incident is also needed.,The Veteran's TDIU claim is being remanded as there are inextricably intertwined issues that must be addressed first.

The Veteran's initial compensable evaluation for bilateral hearing loss was denied. The appeal of the service connection claim for sleep disorders is granted, but remanded due to new evidence. Other issues are also remanded.

The Board has determined that the November 2018 rating decision should be remanded to issue a Statement of the Case regarding the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to an inadequate VA examination regarding the Veteran's right ear hearing loss. The issue of service connection for this condition is now pending and will be reviewed with a new medical opinion.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable disability rating for hearing loss was dismissed.,Service connection for sleep apnea, left ankle gout, right ankle gout, left foot gout, and right foot gout were granted as secondary to hypertension.,Service connection for degenerative arthritis of the spine was granted as secondary to residual fracture of the left ankle and bilateral knee degenerative arthritis.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding no evidence of in-service noise exposure and no current disability meeting VA standards.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD, hypertension, right ear hearing loss, left ear hearing loss, headache disorder, and urinary problems/condition was denied. The case is REMANDED for further development.

The Board denied service connection for the Veteran's cause of death because there was no indication that his causes of death were related to service, specifically due to a lack of submitted death certificate.

The Veteran's tinnitus is rated at the maximum schedular evaluation of 10 percent, and a higher rating is not warranted.,Right ear hearing loss has been evaluated as noncompensable under Diagnostic Code 6100 due to the absence of any significant hearing impairment.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development due to duty-to-assist errors. The Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, back disability, and psychiatric disabilities are currently pending.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for hearing loss, finding that there is no evidence of a chronic disability during or within one year after service and no causal relationship to in-service noise exposure. The Veteran's reports of onset in the 1970s are not consistent with his lack of treatment or complaints prior to this time.

The Veteran's service connection claim for bilateral hearing loss is granted as his current disability is etiologically related to his active service.