Hearing loss Board decisions

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's symptoms began during his military service and have continued since.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss, which is related to in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals on the issues of bilateral hearing loss and an increased rating for hypertension.

The Veteran's right shoulder strain, bilateral pes cavus, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus are all rated at the maximum allowable under their respective diagnostic codes. The Board denied his claims for increased ratings as they do not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral hearing loss disability is remanded due to a missed VA examination. The case will be rescheduled for an audiometric evaluation and the relationship between the hearing loss and service will be determined.

The Veteran's TBI is found to be related to his active military service and has been granted service connection.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus but denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The decision found that the Veteran's tinnitus is related to in-service noise exposure, while his bilateral hearing loss did not meet VA criteria for a disability.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and a left shoulder disability. The decision finds that the Veteran's current conditions are at least as likely as not related to his military service.

The Veteran's adjustment disorder with mixed anxiety and depressed mood, chronic, is granted as service-connected. Bilateral hearing loss and residuals of jaw fracture are denied. Hypertension and obstructive sleep apnea are remanded for further examination and opinion regarding their relationship to service.

The Board has remanded the cases for further development and examination, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to assess the Veteran's sleep apnea and bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD with major depressive disorder rendered him unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment from December 31, 2015. From March 28, 2017, the Veteran's award of TDIU was predicated on PTSD alone and his additional service-connected disabilities were independently ratable at 60 percent or more.

The Board has determined that an additional remand is needed due to the lack of clarity in the standard used during the Veteran's 1967 and 1969 hearing examinations. The case will be returned for further review with a new examination by a VA clinician who must clarify the standard and convert any ASA test results to ISO/ANSI units.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, vision loss, and various musculoskeletal conditions have been denied. The Board found no new evidence to reopen the claim for bilateral hearing loss and concluded that there is no current disability for VA compensation purposes. For other conditions, the evidence did not establish a link between service and the claimed disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, right foot disability, left foot disability, and erectile dysfunction have been denied. The claim for hypertension is being remanded for further development.,For the issues of entitlement to service connection for a right foot disability, left foot disability, and erectile dysfunction, as well as hypertension, the Board finds that additional evidence or examination may be needed to determine if these conditions are related to active duty service.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to incomplete records from Fort Belvoir and Andrews Air Force Base. The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss will be returned for further development.

The Veteran's application to reopen the previously denied claim for entitlement to service connection for a left leg disability, previously claimed as weakness in bilateral legs is granted.,The Veteran's application to reopen the previously denied claim for entitlement to service connection for a left knee disability, previously claimed as weakness in bilateral legs is granted.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, a neck condition, and a back condition due to insufficient medical evidence to resolve these claims. The Veteran must be afforded examinations on remand to assess the nature and etiology of any current disabilities.

The Board has remanded the claims for left ear hearing loss, an acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD, and a dental condition due to missing VA examinations.

The Board has remanded several issues including increased ratings for various service-connected conditions and a TDIU claim due to the submission of additional evidence after an SSOC was issued.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is rated at a 40 percent disability rating from July 31, 2018 to September 7, 2022. The appeal for higher ratings prior to and after this period remains denied.