Hearing loss decisions — 2011

The Board found no evidence of in-service noise exposure causing current bilateral hearing loss, and thus denied the claim.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination to determine if the Veteran's left ear hearing loss is related to service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection and initial compensable ratings for allergic rhinitis, deviated septum, and scarring of the right tympanic membrane are not supported by the evidence of record. The Veteran's conditions have been diagnosed but do not meet the criteria for a compensable rating under applicable VA regulations.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hearing loss in his left ear is causally related to his military service, and thus granted service connection for this condition.

The Veteran seeks service connection for low back, right and left knee disabilities, as well as bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. The Board has determined that a VA examination is needed to determine the nature and etiology of these conditions.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a left ear hearing loss disability was denied as there is no evidence of a current disability for VA purposes. The Board found that the Veteran did not have a current respiratory condition, circulatory disorder, headaches, or peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral extremities.

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent for bilateral hearing loss was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for an exceptional pattern of hearing impairment, and thus, no higher rating could be assigned.

The Board has remanded the case due to outstanding records and incomplete service treatment records. The Veteran's claims for service connection are pending.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's TBI and bilateral hearing loss are service-connected, with no issues related to exposure basis or the presumption of service connection under the PACT Act. The effective date is not specified in the decision.

The Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss does not meet the criteria for consideration as a disability for VA purposes, and therefore service connection is denied.

The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for his service-connected lumbar spine disability, bilateral hearing loss, and radiculopathy of the lower extremities have been granted. The Veteran receives a noncompensable rating for his bilateral hearing loss, a 20 percent rating for his lumbar spine disability, and separate 10 percent ratings for his left and right lower extremity radiculopathies.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his military service, as there is no evidence of in-service acoustic trauma or continuity of symptoms since service. The VA examination report provided a rationale for this determination.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to outstanding VA treatment records and SSA records, as well as a need for another opinion on the etiology of hearing loss.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has been rated at no more than 10 percent prior to August 2011 and no more than 30 percent thereafter. The claim for an increased rating is denied.

The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable evaluation for bilateral hearing loss was denied as his audiometric test results did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating under VA disability rating criteria.

The Board has ordered a remand due to the inadequacy of the previous VA examination, which relied on inaccurate information from the Veteran's service records. The claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss will be reconsidered based on the new examination and evidence.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left ear hearing loss was not incurred in or aggravated by service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Board found no current left ankle disability and denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to lack of evidence. The Veteran's claims are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss was denied because there is no current diagnosis of bilateral hearing loss. The issue of vision loss was not addressed in the decision.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus did not manifest during service or within one year thereafter, and there was no evidence linking these conditions to military service. The Veteran's statements regarding noise exposure were considered but insufficient to establish a direct link between his current disabilities and active duty.