Hearing loss Board decisions

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is due to in-service noise exposure and continues to exist, meeting the criteria for service connection.

The Veteran is eligible for special monthly compensation (SMC) under the statutory housebound criteria from September 20, 2010 due to his service-connected coronary artery disease and other disabilities independently rated at 60 percent or more.

The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, but remanded the issue of bilateral hearing loss due to conflicting medical evidence.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The Board also found that the Veteran had not raised any other issues, nor have any other issues been reasonably raised by the record.

The Veteran withdrew their appeal for the claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, sleep apnea, and anemia.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for SMC based on aid and attendance, as his need for regular aid and assistance is due to non-service-connected conditions. The Veteran's TDIU claim was denied because he has sufficient combined rating from service-connected disabilities (60% for varicose veins of the right lower extremity and 40% for varicose veins of the left lower extremity) that do not meet the requirement for a TDIU based on unemployability.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's continuous complaints of hearing problems since service support a grant of service connection.

The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate VA examination. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is being reviewed again for a new medical opinion.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently rated as noncompensable, with no evidence of increased severity.,Service connection for chronic bronchitis has been granted based on presumed exposure to burn pits and other toxins (BPOT).,Service connection for restrictive lung disease/restrictive spirometry pattern was denied due to lack of a clear etiology related to service.,Service connection for an undiagnosed illness manifested by right wrist pain is granted, with the condition being presumed based on BPOT exposure.,Service connection for an undiagnosed illness manifested by right ankle pain is granted, with the condition also presumed based on BPOT exposure.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities have precluded him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment, and thus grants a TDIU rating.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus has been granted. The effective date of the award is March 22, 2018.,Service connection for bilateral hearing loss was denied as there is no earlier effective date sought or indicated by the Veteran.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss but has remanded the case for further development regarding the Veteran's gastrointestinal disability.

The Board has remanded the claims for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for bilateral hearing loss and temporomandibular disorder, as well as the claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension, allergic rhinitis, and sinusitis. Service connection is also granted for GERD but the claim for bilateral hearing loss remains pending.

The Veteran's requests for earlier effective dates for the awards of service connection for disabilities of the right knee, left knee, and lumbar spine are dismissed.,An effective date earlier than December 1, 2017, for the award of service connection for residuals of a stroke is denied.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for bilateral hearing loss has been dismissed because the Veteran died during the pendency of the appeal.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not currently have a bilateral hearing loss disability for VA purposes, and thus service connection cannot be granted.

The appeals seeking service connection for bilateral hearing loss, increased ratings for right knee limited flexion and pain, right knee instability, left knee limited flexion and pain, and left knee instability have been dismissed. The appeal seeking to reopen the previously denied claims of service connection for a left ankle condition (claimed as secondary to service-connected right ankle disability), cervical arthritis, chronic anxiety disorder, and left wrist condition has been granted.

The Board has dismissed the TDIU claim as moot due to the Veteran's receipt of SMC based on his prostate cancer. The anxiety disorder is rated at 50% and no higher, with no evidence of worsening in the one-year appeal period prior to June 4, 2022.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding no current diagnosis of the condition.,The Board remanded the issue of service connection for a right knee disability to include as secondary to service-connected left knee strain and patellofemoral pain syndrome due to insufficient evidence.