Hearing loss decisions — 2011

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD and has reopened the claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. Additional development is required to determine the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.

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

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including a VA examination to assess the impact of his service-connected disabilities on his employment prospects and to determine if he meets the criteria for TDIU. The issues of service connection for right ear hearing loss disability and entitlement to increased ratings for PTSD are also inextricably intertwined with the TDIU issue.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and providing a new opinion from the July 2007 VA examiner regarding his bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Veteran seeks service connection for hearing loss, claiming it was caused by noise exposure during active duty. The VA has ordered a remand to provide the Veteran with an audiometric examination and opinion regarding whether his current hearing loss is related to his military service.

The Veteran's coronary artery disease is found to be due to his presumed exposure to Agent Orange during service. The Board finds the evidence in relative equipoise as to whether the Veteran has a current low back disorder that is related to service, and thus grants service connection for this condition. Service connection was not granted for hearing loss as there were no records of such disability at the time of the decision.

The Board found no evidence of in-service hearing loss or tinnitus, and thus denied the Veteran's claims for service connection.

The Board has determined that the effective dates for the grants of service connection for right knee arthritis, left knee arthritis, bilateral hearing loss, and lumbar spine disability are not earlier than September 11, 2006.

The Veteran's initial claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss was granted, but he is now seeking a higher initial rating. The VA has determined that his current level of hearing loss (Level II in each ear) does not warrant an initial compensable rating.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right ear hearing loss is related to service and granted service connection for this condition.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and PTSD. The Board found that there was no competent evidence linking these conditions to his active service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is related to his in-service noise exposure and grants service connection for this condition. The issue of bilateral hearing loss was withdrawn by the Veteran, so it is not addressed further.

The Veteran's hearing loss has been rated at 10 percent since April 2008. The Board finds that the evidence does not support a higher rating.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hearing loss in the left ear did not originate during his military service and is therefore denied.

The Veteran's current hearing loss was not incurred in or aggravated by military service and cannot be presumed to have been caused by his military service. The Board finds no evidence of a chronic disability during service, and the medical opinions are against a link between the Veteran's current condition and service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities (PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus) are found to render him unable to maintain substantially gainful employment.

The Board has remanded the case for a new VA examination to assess the severity of the appellant's service-connected bilateral hearing loss and to determine if an extraschedular evaluation is warranted. The appellant was also asked to provide information from his private audiologist, but he did not respond.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The evidence shows a current disability, noise exposure in service, and symptoms of hearing loss immediately after service.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment, which has been granted a TDIU effective July 16, 2009.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are directly related to his active duty service, including exposure to noise from small arms fire.