Hearing loss Board decisions

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss and sleep apnea as secondary to PTSD were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of current disability or causation.

The Board has remanded several claims related to service connection, effective dates, and ratings for various conditions including sinusitis, tinnitus, left ear hearing loss, a scalp scar, traumatic brain injury (TBI), PTSD, and alcohol abuse disorder. The AOJ is instructed to consider all additional evidence received since the last adjudication in February 2020 and March 2020.

The Board has denied service connection for a right knee disability, bilateral hearing loss, and sleep apnea as the evidence does not establish that these conditions are related to active military service.

The Board has granted reopening of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current disabilities are related to in-service noise exposure. Service connection is now established.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, right knee disability, and low back disability due to inadequate VA opinions. The Veteran's statements regarding in-service noise exposure and injuries are considered credible.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional examinations to determine the current severity of his service-connected bilateral knee disabilities and TDIU claim.

The Veteran's hearing loss, tinnitus, coronary artery disease, hypertension, diabetes mellitus type II, and diabetic neuropathy right lower extremity are all granted as service connected due to exposure to herbicide agents in Korea.,The Veteran's diabetic neuropathy left lower extremity is also granted as service connected due to his service-connected diabetes mellitus type II.

The Veteran's appeals for bilateral hearing loss, PTSD, and depression have been withdrawn. The Board has dismissed these issues as the Veteran withdrew his claims. The Board also remanded the issues of entitlement to service connection for a right lower leg condition and a left lower leg condition.

The Veteran's hearing loss claim is denied, and his sleep apnea claim is remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for non-service connected pension and special monthly pension (Aid and Attendance/ Housebound status) are remanded due to incomplete adjudication of these issues. The AOJ is required to consider all evidence added to the claims file since the December 2017 SSOC, including any new evidence related to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, right knee disability, left knee disability, and left ankle disability. The cases are remanded to allow for further development and examination.

The Veteran's initial noncompensable rating for bilateral hearing loss was granted in September 2017. The case is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining community care records and VA treatment records.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and left foot condition, but granted service connection for tinnitus.,Service connection was not established for the umbilical hernia as it is considered a pre-existing condition that did not worsen during service.

The Board has granted service connection for left ear hearing loss and cervical spine disability, but denied service connection for broken nose. The Veteran's right foot stress fracture is now rated at 10%.,Service connection was established for left ear hearing loss due to in-service noise exposure. Service connection was also established for cervical spine disability and broken nose (left nostril recurrent nosebleed) based on continuity of symptomatology since service.

The Board granted a rating of 30 percent for bilateral hearing loss from June 21, 2020 to April 10, 2021. The Veteran's claim was previously denied as not meeting the criteria for an initial compensable rating and later granted a 10 percent rating effective February 7, 2015.

The Veteran's service connection claim for bilateral hearing loss was denied as there is no evidence of a current disability, and the medical opinions provided do not support a finding that his hearing loss is related to service.

The Veteran's GERD and Barrett's esophagus were incurred during service. The claims for right shoulder, left shoulder, back, bilateral flat foot, right ear hearing loss, tonsil problems, and obstructive sleep apnea are pending.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for migraines, vertigo, and bilateral hearing loss due to inadequate medical opinions. The Veteran must be provided with new VA medical opinions addressing the nature and etiology of his migraine disability, vertigo disability, and bilateral hearing loss disability.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss and service connection for tinnitus, finding that there was no evidence to support a current disability or a link between the conditions and service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not interfere with his ability to work, thus the claim for a combined noncompensable evaluation is denied.