Hearing loss decisions — 2012

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and residuals of back injury, finding that the Veteran did not have a current disability related to his military service.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is currently rated as noncompensable, with puretone thresholds at 1000 Hz of 26.25 dB in the right ear and 23.75 dB in the left ear, resulting in speech recognition scores of 96% and 98%, respectively.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining an audiogram and scheduling a VA examination to address the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and hypertension claims. The Veteran is also scheduled for another VA examination to determine if his hypertension is related to service or aggravated by PTSD.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss was rated at 20 percent effective October 31, 2011.

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss was granted service connection, and he is also granted increased ratings for his right wrist disorder. Other claims were either new and material or granted.

The Board found that the Veteran's hearing loss disability did not warrant a compensable evaluation, and denied service connection for tinnitus due to lack of current diagnosis.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed disabilities, including tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, celiac sprue, irritable bowel syndrome with polyps, allergic rhinitis, and osteoporosis, did not have onset during a period of active service or were not caused by an injury or disease incurred in service. Therefore, these claims for service connection are denied.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied as there is no current disability meeting VA criteria.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not service-connected, as they do not meet the criteria for a disability under 38 C.F.R. § 3.385.

The Board has decided to remand the case for a new VA examination and additional medical records, as the current evidence does not provide sufficient information on the functional effects of the Veteran's service-connected hearing loss disability.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for anxiety was denied as there is no evidence that the condition had its onset during active service or resulted from disease or injury in service.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is not at least as likely as not caused by his military service, including any noise exposure.

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

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is not related to his military service, as there was no evidence of hearing impairment during service and VA examinations did not find a link between his current condition and noise exposure. As a result, service connection for bilateral hearing loss was denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are service-connected due to in-service acoustic trauma, with continuous symptomatology since discharge.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is causally related to his military service, specifically exposure to loud noise on the flight line. As a result, the claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is granted.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude substantially gainful employment consistent with his education and previous work experience, thus the claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) is denied.

The Veteran's PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, and hypertension were all found to be related to his military service. The Veteran was granted service connection for PTSD and bilateral hearing loss, but denied service connection for hypertension.

The Veteran's initial claim for a higher rating for his bilateral hearing loss disability was denied. The VA assigned a noncompensable (zero percent) rating effective January 10, 2005.