Hearing loss decisions — 2012

The Veteran's tinnitus was found to have its onset in service and is granted service connection. The claim for bilateral hearing loss is remanded as additional development is needed.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to new and material evidence. However, the Veteran does not have a current hearing loss disability of either ear that meets VA compensation criteria.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions did not have their onset in or are etiologically linked to his military service.

The Board has remanded the case for further action due to a lack of an examination assessing the Veteran's overall disability picture and its impact on his employability.

The Veteran's combined disability evaluation has been at least 60% since August 15, 2005, meeting the percentage criteria for a single disability rated as 60 percent or more. The Board granted TDIU based on his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a VA audiology examination and verification of his current address.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are found to be related to service, resulting in a grant of service connection for these conditions. The Veteran's PTSD is also granted with an increased rating to 70 percent.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical opinions and scheduling VA examinations.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection on the issues of bilateral hearing loss, PTSD, vision loss, athlete's foot, stomach disorder, right shoulder disorder, and low back disorder has been withdrawn.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is being remanded for further examination and opinion regarding whether it was aggravated by service noise exposure, as well as the nature of his pre-existing hearing loss.

The Board found that the Veteran's currently diagnosed bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to service, as there is no evidence of auditory symptoms during or within one year after separation from service. Therefore, service connection for these conditions was denied.

The Veteran is entitled to a total disability rating for compensation purposes based on individual unemployability prior to April 28, 2010 due to service-connected disabilities preventing him from obtaining or retaining substantial gainful employment.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to obtain relevant medical records and for a VA examination to address his claims of service connection for various conditions.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete records and further evaluation is needed before a decision can be made on the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.

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

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claims for service connection, including obtaining medical opinions and reviewing pertinent records.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for service connection of bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus due to withdrawal by the Veteran's representative. The claim for service connection of COPD was denied as there is no evidence that it was incurred in or aggravated by service.

The Veteran's effective date for the award of additional compensation for a dependent spouse is set to November 29, 2007, based on his continued marriage to J.F. and all required dependency information provided in his VA Form 21-526.

The Board has determined that the evidence received since the August 2008 rating decision does not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Board has determined that further development is needed before the claims can be fully adjudicated. This includes obtaining updated VA treatment records, scheduling a new VA audiological examination to assess the current severity of bilateral hearing loss, and scheduling a TDIU examination.