Hearing loss decisions — 2011

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA and private treatment records, scheduling a VA examination to assess the severity of his bilateral hearing loss and PTSD, and adjudicating the TDIU claim.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been denied.,The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for a bilateral knee disability has been denied.,The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for a left hip disability and GERD has been granted with an initial rating of 10 percent.,The Veteran's claims for service connection have been denied.,The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for a skin disability has been denied.,The Veteran's claim for service connection has been denied.,The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for a left ankle disability has been denied.,The Veteran's claim for service connection has been granted with an initial rating of 40 percent.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is a result of acoustic trauma sustained during active service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and pleural plaque disease, each rated at 0 percent. However, the Veteran's claims are remanded to obtain updated VA audiological evaluations and private treatment records.

The Board has determined that the issue of service connection for bilateral hearing loss is moot due to the RO's grant of service connection in March 2010.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss did not begin during service or for many years thereafter, and is not shown by competent evidence to be causally related to service. As a result, the claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss was denied.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current hearing loss and tinnitus were less likely as not caused by or a result of noise exposure in the military.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn by the appellant before a decision was made.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability is related to his exposure to acoustic trauma during service, and grants the claim for service connection.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there was no evidence to support a link between these conditions and his military service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased evaluations were denied. The Board found that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for bilateral hearing loss, recurrent actinic keratosis was not related to military service, and his right knee disability does not warrant a rating in excess of 10 percent or greater than 10 percent for arthritis.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected unilateral left ear hearing loss and right knee disability were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a rating in excess of 10 percent for the left ear hearing loss or a rating in excess of 30 percent since November 1, 2009 for the right knee disability.

The VA determined that there is no current hearing loss disability for VA purposes, and thus denied the Veteran's claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for right and left ankle strain, as well as his request for an earlier effective date for those conditions, were granted. The effective dates are set at April 25, 2006.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability was initially rated noncompensable, but a rating of 10 percent effective March 31, 2011 has been granted.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including bilateral hearing loss and chronic colitis, have rendered him unable to secure or maintain gainful employment. The Board has granted a total rating for compensation based on individual unemployability.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss was granted, but the current assigned rating of 0% is not warranted given his hearing acuity.

The Veteran's claims for higher ratings for bilateral hearing loss and encephalalgia were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a rating in excess of 10 percent for bilateral hearing loss from January 8, 2002, or for a rating in excess of 30 percent for encephalalgia from June 1, 2004.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his military service, with reasonable doubt resolved in favor of the claimant.

The appeal is being remanded for further development and consideration. The Veteran's claims regarding hearing loss, tinnitus, and hyperacusis are pending.