Hearing loss decisions — 2010

The Board found no evidence of in-service tinnitus or hearing loss, and the Veteran's current conditions are not linked to service. The claims for service connection were denied.

The Veteran's hearing loss was found to be no worse than Level IV in the right ear and Level II in the left ear, resulting in a noncompensable rating.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that his current conditions were not attributable to his military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right ear hearing loss and left ear hearing loss, finding that he did not have a current disability in either ear according to VA standards. The Board also found that his left ear hearing loss is related to military noise exposure but did not find sufficient evidence to establish service connection for right ear hearing loss.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right and left ear hearing loss, finding that there was no evidence of a current disability or in-service event that would support such a claim.

The Board found that the Veteran's claimed conditions of hemorrhoids, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus were not incurred in or aggravated by his active service. The evidence did not support a finding of current disabilities for these claims.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his active duty service, as there is no evidence of hearing loss or tinnitus during service or for many years after separation. The Board finds that the preponderance of the evidence is against these claims.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and respiratory disorder (to include as secondary to asbestos exposure) was denied. The Board found no evidence of a respiratory disorder during or immediately after service, and the current diagnosis is attributed to cigarette smoking. For hearing loss, the Board noted that there were no specific references in service records to hearing-related complaints, but the Veteran's DD Form 214 reflects he served in Vietnam and had noise exposure. The claim for respiratory disorder was denied as there was no evidence of asbestos exposure during or after service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings have been denied as the evidence does not support a higher rating for his service-connected disabilities.

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

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is found to be related to in-service noise exposure, and service connection for this condition is granted. The initial rating for PTSD remains at 30 percent.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and fibromyalgia are found to be related to service, while his PTSD is rated at 50 percent disabling. The Veteran's TDIU claim is also granted.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for right ear hearing loss and mechanical low back pain were denied. The Board found no current diagnosis of bilateral hearing loss or a back disability, and the evidence did not support a link between these conditions and service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus has been denied as he does not currently have a diagnosed disability of tinnitus. The claim for hearing loss is pending and will be addressed in the REMAND portion.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the Veteran's claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss. Given the benefit of doubt, it is found that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is attributable to acoustic trauma during active service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including bilateral sensorineural hearing loss, ulcerative colitis, and tinnitus, are found to be sufficient for a TDIU due to their combined rating of 80 percent.

The Veteran's appeal is about his service-connected disabilities and their impact on his ability to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. The Board has determined that further development, including obtaining an examination, is needed before the claim can be decided.

The Board has granted service connection for a left knee disability, but denied the claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to lack of valid audiometric test results.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining a VA examination of his service-connected PTSD and completing additional development on the other issues.