Hearing loss decisions — 2010

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his service, including any in-service noise exposure. The Veteran did not have a diagnosed hearing loss disability during service or within one year of separation from service, and there is no medical evidence linking these conditions to service.

The VA determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss does not warrant a compensable rating, as his hearing acuity did not meet the criteria for any higher evaluation.

The Board has determined that additional medical records and examinations are necessary to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claims for service connection.

The Board denied service connection for PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, herpes type II, headaches, swelling in the joints, and hemorrhoids. The Veteran's claims were not supported by evidence of a current disability or a link to military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his periods of active service with the National Guard, and thus grants service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for residuals of a traumatic brain injury and hearing loss has been remanded due to the need for additional development.

The Board found that the Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus did not start during or immediately after service, and are not related to his military service. The VA examiner opined that any current hearing loss is more likely due to civilian employment rather than service exposure.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right ear hearing loss disability is incurred in service, and his tinnitus was not incurred in or aggravated by active service. The other issues are addressed as part of the remand process.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection of hearing loss and tinnitus are being remanded due to the need to consider a claim of clear and unmistakable error (CUE) in prior rating decisions, as well as potential new evidence from missing service medical records.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current tinnitus had its onset in service. The hearing loss claim is being remanded as it relates to a different issue.

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

The Veteran's appeal for restoration of a 40 percent rating for service-connected bilateral hearing loss is granted, as the evidence does not demonstrate material improvement in his condition under ordinary conditions of life.

The Veteran's claim for TDIU is being remanded due to the need for a VA examination and an opportunity to submit a formal application. The examiner will assess whether his service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations for injury to the left knee, tinnitus, empyema (residuals of pneumonia postoperative), and bilateral high frequency hearing loss have been denied. The evidence does not support higher ratings under applicable VA rating criteria.

The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of VA treatment records for hearing loss, and requests that these records be obtained.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus is being remanded due to inadequate VA examinations. The case must be reviewed again with new evidence.

The Board found that the Veteran did not have a hearing loss disability shown at separation and that his right ear hearing acuity grew slightly worse during service. The preponderance of evidence is against a finding that any currently diagnosed bilateral hearing loss is related to active service.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to determine if the Veteran's current respiratory disorder is related to his service.

The Veteran's left ear hearing loss disability is related to in-service noise exposure, and the Board grants service connection for this condition. The remaining claims are remanded for further examination and opinion.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 100 percent since July 1, 2002, due to total occupational and social impairment. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is service-connected as a result of in-service noise exposure during combat. Service connection for the Veteran's bladder disorder remains pending.