Hearing loss decisions — 2010

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss has been rated as noncompensable since the grant of service connection. The VA and private audiologists have consistently found Level II or Level III hearing acuity in both ears, resulting in a noncompensable rating.

The Veteran's left ear hearing loss is rated as noncompensable, with the highest level of impairment being Level V. The Board denied an increased rating for his service-connected left ear hearing loss.

The Veteran's squamous cell carcinoma of the right tonsil is being remanded for further development and adjudication due to its potential connection to service. The intertwined issues of secondary service connection for various disorders are also being held in abeyance.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD, tinnitus, and hearing loss do not render him in need of aid and attendance or housebound status. The Board also finds that the preponderance of the evidence is against his claim for a TDIU.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and an initial compensable evaluation for left lung disability is denied. The evidence does not meet the criteria for a current disability as defined by VA regulations.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and lumbar spine disorder were not found to be related to his service, including exposure to noise or injury. The claims for these conditions are therefore denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings were denied. The Board found that the Veteran does not have a current disability of right ear hearing loss, and his left ear hearing loss is currently rated as noncompensable.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have hearing loss related to his military service and that new and material evidence has not been submitted to reopen his claim of service connection for an ear disorder manifested by a broken blood vessel in ear.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss were not incurred or aggravated by his active duty service, nor are they otherwise related to service.

The Veteran's left ear hearing loss is found to be related to acoustic trauma experienced during service, and the claim for service connection is granted.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's lay statements regarding the onset of tinnitus during service and experiencing it since then are credible. The benefit-of-the-doubt rule applies, and service connection is now warranted for tinnitus.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and scheduling a VA audiological examination.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension was denied as there is no evidence of a chronic condition during or within one year after service. The Board found that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for TDIU due to his multiple service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not cause or contribute substantially or materially to his death. Therefore, the claim for DIC benefits is denied.

The Veteran's claim for a higher initial evaluation for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss has been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support an increase in ratings beyond 40% prior to July 2, 2010 and 80% from that date.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, degenerative joint disease of the right knee, and degenerative joint disease of the left knee. The evidence does not support a finding that these conditions are related to active service.

The Board found that the Veteran's hearing loss disability, as manifested by an average decibel loss of 59 in both ears with speech recognition scores above 88 percent, does not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation under VA's rating schedule. Therefore, the claim for a higher rating was denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for left ear hearing loss, finding that his current hearing loss is not related to his military service.

The Board denied service connection for a bilateral hearing loss disability, finding that the Veteran did not have evidence of current hearing loss disability in service and no medical basis to link his current hearing loss to service.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current ringing in his ears is related to military noise exposure. Service connection for bilateral hearing loss and arthritis of the right wrist, ankles, and shoulders was also granted based on direct evidence.