Hearing loss decisions — 2011

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. The evidence does not support a finding that these conditions are related to service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and sleep apnea have been denied as there is no evidence of a current disability meeting VA compensation criteria, and the Veteran has not presented credible lay assertions establishing continuity of symptomatology since service.

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss was found to have initially manifested during service and is therefore considered incurred in service. The Board finds that the Veteran has current sleep apnea, which may be related to his service-connected PTSD.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's PTSD warrants a 30 percent rating, effective from October 2009. The other issues have not been addressed due to lack of appeal or are not currently in appellate status.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim of service connection for tinnitus, as new and material evidence has been received. However, the claim remains denied as there is no causal relationship between the current tinnitus and active duty service.,The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was not incurred in or aggravated by active duty service. The Board found that sensorineural hearing loss may not be presumed to have resulted from such service.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability and awarded an effective date of July 31, 2011, for the grant of service connection for tinnitus.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to missing service records and the need for VA examinations to assess his hearing loss, tinnitus, and skin conditions.

The Board has determined that the VA audiologist's opinion is not adequate for the Board to rely upon in this case due to incomplete reasoning and reliance on unreliable evidence. The Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his military service, but further development is needed to determine if there was noise exposure during service.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss disability and chronic tinnitus are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including a VA examination by an ENT specialist.

The Board has decided to remand the case for further examination and development due to incomplete audiometric testing.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is related to in-service acoustic trauma from artillery exposure, and the Board grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left ear hearing loss is incurred in service and granted service connection for this condition.

The Board found that the appellant's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his active military service, as there is no evidence of in-service noise exposure or any other causative factor. The current conditions were determined to be unrelated to his time in the National Guard.

The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable evaluation for bilateral hearing loss prior to April 17, 2008 and a rating in excess of 10 percent thereafter was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for these ratings.

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

The Board found no evidence linking the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss to his military service, including noise exposure. As a result, the claim for service connection was denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability is etiologically related to his military service, and therefore grants the claim for service connection.

The Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus are as likely as not attributable to his active military service, and the Board has granted service connection for both conditions.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is found to be related to noise exposure during service.,The Veteran's squamous cell carcinoma of the left second metacarpal, including as due to Agent Orange exposure, is found to be related to service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus and a compensable evaluation for bilateral hearing loss, finding that the schedular evaluations were adequate.