Hearing loss decisions — 2010

The Board has determined that additional development is needed for the claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, increased ratings for residuals of direct/indirect right inguinal hernia, and right inguinal hernia scar. The case will be remanded to obtain updated medical records, conduct new examinations, and consider an extraschedular evaluation.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the incorrect original rating for bilateral hearing loss. The RO must consider the severity of his bilateral hearing loss from May 1969 to the present, and review the claim under all applicable criteria since then.

The Board found that the Veteran did not have current bilateral hearing loss or sensorineural hearing loss within one year of separation from service. The VA examination results showed speech recognition scores below 94%, meeting the regulatory requirements for a current hearing loss disability, but the examiner noted these were not indicative of true organic hearing and should not be used for rating purposes.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus did not meet the criteria for service connection as they are not shown to be causally or etiologically related to his military service.

The Veteran's claims for increased rating and service connection were denied. The Board found no evidence of hearing loss or tinnitus in service, and the VA examiner opined that any current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to service, granting service connection for both conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for irritable bowel syndrome, headaches, and hearing loss were denied. The claim for PTSD was reopened but not granted. Service connection for fatigue due to an undiagnosed illness remains in effect with a 10% evaluation effective February 18, 1998. Service connection for restrictive lung disease also remains in effect with a noncompensable evaluation effective February 14, 1997.

The Veteran's appeal involves his bilateral hearing loss and potential TDIU. The RO must arrange for an examination to assess the impact of his hearing loss on his employment, and then readjudicate both issues.

The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss was denied by the Board. The average puretone threshold in decibels in an authorized audiological evaluation in April 2005 was 54 in the right ear and 50 in the left, with speech recognition scores of 80 percent in both ears.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his bilateral hearing loss and residuals of a stapedectomy of the left ear is being remanded due to the need for a current VA examination.

The Veteran's service connected disabilities preclude him from securing or following substantially gainful employment consistent with his education and industrial background, thus meeting the criteria for a TDIU.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeal for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, thus the Board dismisses these claims.

The Veteran's right shoulder disorder, bilateral hearing loss, sinus bradycardia, and anemia are not service-connected.,There is no evidence of a current diagnosis for any of these conditions.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claims, including obtaining an examination and updating the claims file with recent VA treatment records.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities (PTSD, tinnitus, and left ear hearing loss) do not render him unemployable due to their combined effect on his ability to engage in substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is being remanded due to the need to verify his periods of active duty, ACDUTRA, and INACDUTRA. The VA examiner will provide an opinion on whether it is more likely than not that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss had its origin in service or is related to his military service.

The Board finds that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability is likely related to his service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for traumatic arthritis of the right and left knees. However, his claim for a compensable evaluation for bilateral hearing loss was denied.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for lumbosacral strain and bilateral hearing loss were denied as the evidence did not support a higher rating under the applicable VA rating criteria.