Hearing loss decisions — 2011

The Board has determined that the VA audiology examination report is inadequate for rating purposes and must be returned to the audiologist for clarification. The claims are remanded due to conflicting opinions regarding whether the hearing loss disability was caused by active service noise exposure.

The Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and providing the Veteran with a VA examination.

The Board finds that new and material evidence has been submitted for the claims of right ear hearing loss, thus reopening them. However, the claim for left big toe disorder is denied as there is no nexus between the current condition and service.

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. The Board finds that the Veteran's current hearing loss is likely caused by in-service noise exposure, and resolves all reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss. The Veteran needs a new VA examination to determine if his current hearing loss is related to service.

The Veteran's claims for a higher rating for bilateral hearing loss and service connection for depression, to include as secondary to hearing loss, were denied. The Board found that the Veteran did not have a mental disorder and his hearing loss disability was manifested by an exceptional pattern of hearing impairment resulting in a 30 percent rating.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected hearing disabilities do not render him unemployable, and thus denied his claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current hearing loss disability as defined by VA regulations, and therefore service connection for right ear hearing loss is denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left ear hearing loss disability is adequately described by the rating schedule and does not warrant an extraschedular rating.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient audiometric testing and need for a VA audiological examination to determine if the Veteran currently suffers from hearing loss related to his military service.

The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 20 percent for degenerative disc disease of the lumbosacral spine was granted. The claim for service connection for hearing loss was denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus did not manifest during service or are otherwise related to service, leading to a denial of these claims.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, and for an ear disorder, to include bilateral hearing loss. The evidence did not meet the criteria for direct service connection.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the claims for service connection for right ear hearing loss, left ear hearing loss, and tinnitus. The Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are found to be related to his military service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss was denied as he did not meet the VA criteria for a disability. The claim for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for GERD was granted, but only effective from April 22, 2008.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current tinnitus disability is more likely than not incurred during his period of active duty for training (ACDUTRA) in 1960. The hearing loss claim will be addressed in a separate remand.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss has been rated as noncompensable. The VA examiner found that the Veteran's auditory acuity levels were no more than Roman Numeral I in both ears, with speech recognition ability of 96 percent in each ear. This does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's military noise exposure is at least as likely as not a significant cause of these conditions.

The Board found that the Veteran's current hearing loss is not related to his active duty service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and translating Spanish language documents. The issues of service connection for vertigo and a left shoulder condition are also pending.