Hearing loss decisions — 2011

The Board has determined that the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, not otherwise specified, is related to active service and grants service connection for this condition. The issues of entitlement to service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is being remanded due to the need for additional development and clarification of opinions.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred in or aggravated by active service.

The Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities is being remanded for further development and examination.

The Veteran's hearing loss has been rated as noncompensable since the effective date of service connection in February 2006. The VA examiner found that the Veteran's hearing loss did not rise to a level that warranted a compensable rating.

The Board has determined that a VA medical opinion is necessary to decide the claim of service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death. The appellant claims her husband had silent heart attacks in service, and his cervical spine, lumbar spine, and left small toe disabilities may have contributed to his heart disease.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to the RO for scheduling a hearing before the Board.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable evaluation for bilateral hearing loss is denied. The issue of an increased initial evaluation for tinnitus is intertwined with the earlier effective date claim for service connection for tinnitus.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD based on the Veteran's reported stressors related to his service in the Persian Gulf War. The other claims are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's low back disability, along with other service-connected conditions, has rendered him unable to secure and maintain substantially gainful employment.,The Veteran is entitled to SMC at the housebound rate due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a left knee disorder and an initial compensable disability rating for his bilateral hearing loss, finding that the evidence did not warrant staged ratings or extra-schedular consideration.

The Board found that the Veteran's additional disabilities, including loss of left ureter, loss of memory, loss of balance, and hearing loss, did not result from VA medical care provided between March 2004 and November 2004. The evidence does not show that VA treatment caused these conditions.

The Board finds that the evidence is in equipoise regarding whether the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus are related to his active service. Service connection for both conditions is granted.

The Veteran's claim of entitlement to a compensable initial rating for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including scheduling an appropriate VA examination.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied as his December 2006 VA audiometric test results did not warrant an increase in disability rating beyond the current 10 percent assigned since October 25, 2004.

The Veteran's initial claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss prior to December 12, 2009 was denied. From December 12, 2009 onward, the Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss was also denied.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was rated as noncompensably disabling from July 24, 2006 to January 14, 2009 and at a 30 percent rating thereafter. The Board found no evidence of entitlement to higher ratings based on the provided medical evidence.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including a VA audiology examination to determine if the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability is due to noise exposure during service.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not etiologically related to his active service, as there is no credible evidence of such during or immediately after service. The VA examiner's opinion was more probative than Dr. RJC's due to its reliance on clinical records.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are being remanded due to the need for further medical examination and consideration of combat exposure.