Hearing loss decisions — 2011

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability did not have onset during active service, was not shown to be related to his military service, and is therefore denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss was incurred during his active duty military service and grants the claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current left ear hearing loss disability as defined by VA regulation, and thus cannot establish service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions and clarification regarding his hearing loss disability claim. The issues of service connection, PTSD evaluation, and bilateral hearing loss disability are also being addressed.

The Board has reopened the claims for service connection for migraine headaches, left ear hearing loss, right elbow tendonitis, and arthritis. The Veteran's current conditions are presumed to be related to his military service due to the presence of new evidence that relates to an unestablished fact necessary to substantiate these claims.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his military service, including noise exposure during active duty. As a result, the claim for service connection is granted.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus claims, including a lack of audiological examination.

The Veteran's service-connected right ear hearing loss is currently rated as noncompensable, with no worse than Level I hearing acuity in the right ear. The Board finds that a compensable evaluation is not warranted.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine and bilateral hearing loss, finding that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under the applicable VA rating schedule.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his military service, with noise exposure being a significant factor.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection of bilateral hearing loss disability, tinnitus, and pulmonary fibrosis (claimed as asbestosis). The appeals were based on new evidence received after final decisions.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for the issues of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus.

The Board has determined that there is no evidence of a service connection for bilateral hearing loss or tinnitus, and thus the Veteran's claims are denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date of June 4, 2007, for the grant of a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU). The evidence did not show that his service-connected disabilities alone precluded gainful employment prior to this date.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was incurred in service and is granted as service connection.

The Veteran's claim for TDIU is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination and opinion regarding his employability.

The Veteran is unable to maintain substantially gainful employment due to service-connected disabilities, primarily bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. The Board finds that the criteria for a TDIU have been met.

The Veteran's claim for right ear hearing loss was denied due to lack of evidence during service or within one year post-service. His claim for psychotic depressive disorder was not reopened as new and material evidence was not provided.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were found to have originated in service due to acoustic trauma, resulting in a grant of service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment, meeting the criteria for a TDIU.