Hearing loss decisions — 2011

The Board has ordered additional development due to incomplete personnel records from the Veteran's employers. The claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss will be reconsidered after these records are obtained.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable disability rating for bilateral hearing loss has been denied as his current hearing acuity does not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation.

The Board has denied service connection for low back disability and hypertension, finding no evidence of a nexus to service. Service connection for bilateral hearing loss remains pending.

The Veteran's initial noncompensable evaluation for bilateral hearing loss is denied as his hearing impairment does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for service connection for right ear hearing loss, finding that there was no evidence of a current disability related to military service. The claim for an initial disability rating in excess of 10 percent for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine is pending and will be addressed in a separate remand.

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

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities are not of such severity as to render him unable to obtain or maintain substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's initial and current ratings for bilateral hearing loss disability are upheld, with no changes in effective dates.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current right ear disability besides hearing loss, and his current hearing loss is not causally related to his active service or any incident therein. The same applies to his left ear hearing loss.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is granted as the evidence supports a diagnosis of PTSD and links it to an in-service stressor. The other claims (for hearing loss and tinnitus) are denied.

The Board has granted a 30 percent disability rating for Eustachian tube dysfunction, effective from the date of the decision. The Veteran's tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss are already service-connected with respective ratings.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional evidence and a new VA audiological examination.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including an acquired psychiatric disorder, a right shoulder disorder, bilateral hearing loss, refractive error of the eye, allergies, left arm numbness and loss of function, and a low back disorder. The evidence does not support these claims.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus are incurred in active service, with continuity of symptomatology since separation.

The Board of Veterans' Appeals (Board) has determined that the Veteran's claimed bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not service-connected, as there is no evidence showing a connection between his current conditions and his military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is at least as likely as not due to in-service acoustic trauma, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining records from various sources and scheduling VA examinations. The Veteran's claims are currently pending.

The Board has determined that additional evidentiary development is necessary prior to the adjudication of the Veteran's claims due to outstanding VA and private treatment records, as well as the need for VA examinations.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his active service, as there is no evidence of in-service hearing loss or tinnitus. The claim for service connection is denied.

The Board finds that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability is related to his military service, and grants service connection for this condition.