Hearing loss decisions — 2010

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his service, specifically exposure to noise trauma from firing M1 rifles in tunnels during service. As such, service connection is granted for both conditions.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining evidence regarding the Veteran's exposure to asbestos and silica during service, as well as conducting VA examinations to determine the nature and etiology of his diagnosed conditions.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is manifested by Level III impairment, at worst, in each ear and does not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not meet the schedular requirements for TDIU until February 18, 1998. The effective date of TDIU is therefore set at this date.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for left ear sensorineural hearing loss and a respiratory condition, finding that he did not have current disabilities due to impaired hearing or chronic bronchial conditions. The evidence did not show any such conditions within one year of discharge from service.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and consideration of all evidence, including a determination on the credibility of the Veteran's claimed stressor for PTSD.

The Veteran's posttraumatic stress disorder is related to his period of active military service and the claim for this condition is granted.

The Board has requested a medical expert opinion and the Veteran submitted additional private medical evidence. The case is being remanded for further review of this new evidence.

The Veteran's appeal of the claim for service connection for tooth extraction has been withdrawn. The Board is remanding the claims for bilateral hearing loss and frozen feet to obtain additional medical opinions.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to obtain the Veteran's service treatment records and to provide him with appropriate VA examinations. The claims will be remanded for these actions.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to the need for a VA examination and consideration of the Veteran's service history.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD, finding that the Veteran's in-service stressor occurred and there is credible supporting evidence of its occurrence. The issues of bilateral hearing loss and recurrent tinnitus are remanded due to insufficient medical opinion regarding their etiology.

The Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is found to be incurred during his active military service due to exposure to loud noises, and the Board grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD and other conditions, do not render him unemployable without regard to his age.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities alone do not render him unable to obtain or retain employment prior to December 26, 2007.

The Veteran's claims for higher initial ratings for bilateral hearing loss and service connection for degenerative joint disease of the left knee were denied. Further development is needed before a decision can be reached on these issues.

The Board has restored the Veteran's 40 percent rating for bilateral hearing loss, finding that sustained improvement in his condition was not demonstrated and thus the reduction to a 20 percent rating was improper.

The Veteran's initial claim for a higher rating for his bilateral hearing loss disability was denied as the evidence did not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation prior to January 17, 2009 and a 20% evaluation from that date onward.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss did not exist prior to service and was not aggravated by military service. As a result, the claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are denied as there is no evidence of a chronic disability due to undiagnosed illness or medically unexplained multi-symptom illnesses, and the preponderance of the evidence shows that his conditions were not incurred in or aggravated by service.