Hearing loss decisions — 2011

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for coronary artery disease secondary to his service-connected hypertension. The remaining issues of increased rating for hypertension, service connection for diabetes mellitus, and service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability are referred back to the RO for further development.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current condition is related to his period of active service. The gastrointestinal disorder and bilateral hearing loss claims are remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for congestive heart failure, bilateral hearing loss, breathing problems and/or sleep apnea, and a psychiatric disorder. The evidence does not support a finding that these conditions are related to service.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's lumbar spine disability and chloracne, effective December 15, 2008.,However, the claim for right ear hearing loss remains pending as new evidence was submitted to reopen this claim.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for hearing loss in the left ear. The right ear hearing loss was not incurred or aggravated by active service and is not presumed to be related to service.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded to determine if his current bilateral hearing loss disability had its onset during service or is related to in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied. The current evaluation of 30 percent is considered adequate as the evidence does not demonstrate that his disability picture exhibits other related factors such as marked interference with employment or frequent periods of hospitalization.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn by his representative, and thus the case is dismissed.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, an acquired psychiatric disability (including PTSD, anxiety and/or depression), and tinnitus. The Veteran's current conditions are found to be related to his military service.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred in or aggravated by his military service.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for further development and examination, including an audiological evaluation, a skin examination, and a stomach disorder examination.

The Veteran's type II diabetes mellitus, bilateral hearing loss disability, and tinnitus are presumed to have been incurred in service due to exposure to Agent Orange. The Board found the evidence equally balanced as to whether the Veteran's PTSD is related to his fear of hostile military activity during service.

The Board has found service connection granted for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current disabilities are related to his in-service exposure to acoustic trauma during combat.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are granted. For bilateral hearing loss, the evidence does not meet the criteria for a disability as defined by VA regulations. However, for tinnitus, the Board finds sufficient credible evidence to support a finding of in-service noise exposure leading to current symptoms.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate notice and the need for additional medical records and a neurological examination.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss has been rated as noncompensable (0 percent) since the initial grant of service connection in April 2009. The audiometric testing during this period did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.

The Board found it is just as likely as not that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his military service, rather than any other causes. As a result, the claim for service connection was granted.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability is related to in-service noise exposure, and granted service connection for this condition. The claim for tinnitus was also granted as it was related to in-service acoustic trauma.

The Veteran seeks a TDIU rating based on his service-connected disabilities, but the VA examinations did not provide sufficient information to determine if he is unemployable due to these conditions. The case is being remanded for additional medical development.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is currently rated at 50 percent, effective May 19, 2011. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the severity of his service-connected bilateral hearing loss.