Hearing loss decisions — 2011

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to the need for a VA audiologic examination to determine if the Veteran's preexisting right ear hearing loss was aggravated by service and whether left ear hearing loss and/or tinnitus are directly related to service. The issues of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus remain on appeal.

The Board has determined that further development is needed to determine the Veteran's service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, including obtaining a VA examination.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain an audiological examination for the Veteran's claimed bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, as well as to determine their etiology.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for multiple myeloma has been withdrawn. The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and left ear hearing loss, which constitutes a complete grant of the benefits sought on appeal.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension and an increased rating for PTSD have been dismissed due to withdrawal. The claim for a back disorder has been reopened, but the evidence does not support service connection. Bilateral hearing loss is denied, while tinnitus is granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current hearing loss disability related to his service, and therefore, the claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his period of active duty for training (ACDUTRA) in the military, resulting in service connection being granted.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability has been rated as noncompensable throughout the period on appeal, with an average pure tone threshold of 51 Hz in the right ear and 43 Hz in the left ear. The Board finds that the current rating adequately reflects the severity of the disability.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is service-connected, but denied his claims for coronary artery disease status post coronary artery bypass surgery due to lack of evidence linking it to service.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that new evidence supports a relationship between these conditions and his noise exposure during active duty. The Board then granted service connection based on direct service connection.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been presented to reopen the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. The Veteran's testimony, VA outpatient treatment reports, a private physician's letter, and a VA examination all support his claim that he experienced these conditions during active service due to noise exposure. As such, the Board finds that the Veteran's claims are granted.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to missing VA treatment records from VAMC Salem.

The Board found that the Veteran's currently diagnosed bilateral hearing loss did not originate in service or for many years thereafter and is not related to any incident during active service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are service-connected, with doubt resolved in favor of the Veteran.

The Board has granted service connection for left ear hearing loss and denied service connection for asbestosis, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service.

The Veteran's left ear hearing loss has been manifested by no more than Level V hearing loss, which does not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation.

The Board granted the Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for residuals of a fractured left scapula and a left ankle sprain, but denied his appeals for increased ratings for Bell's palsy, tinnitus, hearing loss, and lumbar spine disability. The Veteran withdrew his appeal regarding Bell's palsy and tinnitus in April 2011.

The Board denied the claims for increased ratings for various service-connected disabilities, including bilateral hearing loss, right great toe arthritis, left humerus fracture residuals, dental trauma to teeth numbers 7, 8, and 9, right hand and left hand arthritis, right ankle and left ankle arthritis, left thumb arthritis, and right and left knee arthritis. The appeal is based on the merits of these conditions without any presumption or new evidence.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss has not resulted in a compensable evaluation as his puretone thresholds and speech recognition scores do not meet the criteria for any higher rating under Diagnostic Code 6100.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to the need for complete VA medical records, including audiometry findings from April 2008 to present.