hearing loss Tinnitus Denied/Foot Injury Approved

[NGArtilleryMedic]

I had my C&P exams done and was awarded 30% for a foot/ankle injury sustained while at drill. I ended up in the ER because of it and to be honest with what I had read previously expected to be service connected, I just didn't know to what extent. However I also had an audiology exam and was denied service connection because even though there is hearing loss apparently it isn't enough in each of the categories. I've had multiple PHA exams done that show "asymmetrical hearing loss" and now had an audiology exam at the VA and it even shows hearing loss in almost every frequency range with a 94% speech recognition pattern. I guess my question is this, can I appeal it and is it likely to be successful? I've got ringing in my ears constantly and its not getting any better. I constantly have to ask people to repeat themselves. I'm at a loss as to what to do. I'm thankful that I established a service connection for the musculoskeletal exam, but am frustrated with the audiology part. 

Thank you

[Buck52]

Ms berta I hope you do get your Point /Ideal across to the new VA Sec, there are a lot of good people here on hadit that keeps the hadit ship afloat. your just the Most Important with all  your information, but I understand you need time to research and get your point across to VA Secretary Shulkin.

please take your time everyone here will miss you but I certainly understand about your time too! & soon you will be back here at hadit.

I sometimes go back and find your post if I am in doubt about something& I fairly sure other vets do the same...there's just so much to read and understand about the VA   It's endless it seems.

Thank you for All your Hard work  it is Greatly Appreciated by All.

[Berta]

Thanks Buck,  it isnt just the Shulkin stuff ....and I will still try to be here every day.... just a lot I do in other respects too...that minimize my time when Spring and summer come to beautiful NY....weedwacking ,farm business, lots of work with my church, bible courses and for some odd reason, I still think I am Mrs. Clean.

The good part of trying to be neat and orderly is that I usually can find my VAOLA crap fast. It is all marked in hundreds of tabbed files, going back to ........1981-Geez.

This is a  Tip- I have my husbands med recs in Red manila folders,by year.Red for IMPORTANT

I have his Agent Orange stuff in  Orange folders. obvious to use orange

Award letters in a green folder, because they mean $$$

and anything pending in  Blue folders.Because dealing with VA (I need to work on my own pending issue more) and VA gives me the Blues.........

 

[NGArtilleryMedic]

Thank you all for the advice. I still haven't received my denial letter yet, however I have received back pay and my first monthly payment on the musculoskeletal injury rated at 30%. The only way I know its SC and rated at 30% is because I looked on ebenefits. The information from one of my earlier posts comes directly from the blue button for health records. Ebenefits also shows that hearing loss and tinnitus were both denied. I have requested my file as you have suggested on April 14th and am waiting to receive it. I looked at the fast letter as Ms Berta suggested and unfortunately the 68W MOS is categorized as low. I assume that is because its called a "healthcare specialist" and many of the 68w's spend time in a medical BN, BDE or BAS. I was not one of those. Even though we did have sick call hours, most of the time I was on the line with 155mm Paladins or at the ranges for annual qualification, familiarization, shoot houses, etc. Anytime my BN was in the field for live fire exercizes I was with, anytime my BN had anything more than a moderate risk level I had to accompany them. I've even flown in helicopters, both Blackhawks and Lakotas. I am so perplexed with the fact that even though I told the audiologist that I have constant ringing it was denied. Is there a way to speed up the process of getting the letter from them so I can see why I was denied? Also should I find an audiologist now and have an IMO/IME so that when the letter arrives I can follow a NOD immediately? I know I only have a year to appeal it and time waits for no man....

 

Again thank you all for the advice. I appreciate the help, I just want to get help with my hearing. It truly causes alot of frustration for me and my family. I can be staring at my wife and not understand what shes saying and have to ask her to repeat it.