Hearing loss decisions — 2012

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is likely due to his exposure to noise during service, particularly while serving as a rifleman in combat conditions in Vietnam. As such, the claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is granted.

The Board found that the Veteran's left ear hearing loss did not result from service, as it was first noted years after discharge and is not related to in-service noise exposure. The Board also determined that tinnitus, a service-connected condition, did not cause or aggravate the hearing loss.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left and right ear hearing loss, as well as his tinnitus, had their onset during a period of Active Duty for Training (ACDUTRA) in March and April 1980. Therefore, service connection is granted.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn, and the case is dismissed.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied as there was no evidence of a direct link between his claimed conditions and his military service or exposure to herbicides. The nerve damage is attributed to chemotherapy, not the service-connected condition.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is not linked to his active duty service and there is no evidence of sensorineural hearing loss within one year of discharge.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for clarification regarding his desire to continue his appeal on the issue of bilateral hearing loss. The claim for tinnitus will be remanded as well, and a statement of the case must be issued for this issue.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss with tympanoplasty, mastoidectomy, meatoplasty, and canaloplasty does not meet the criteria for a compensable disability rating under VA regulations.

The Board denied the Veteran's increased rating claims for migraine headaches and left ear injury with hearing loss, finding that his symptoms did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under the applicable VA rating schedule.

The Board has ordered additional development of the Veteran's VA medical records to ensure all relevant evidence is considered in his claims for service connection.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred or aggravated by service, as his pre-existing conditions did not worsen during service. The VA examinations concluded that any current hearing loss was more likely due to occupational noise exposure after service, and tinnitus was less likely related to military noise exposure.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have a current hearing loss disability as defined by VA standards, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's initial claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss has been denied as his audiometric test results have not shown impairment warranting such a rating.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial, compensable rating for left ear hearing loss on a schedular basis and remanded it to determine if extra-schedular consideration was warranted. The VA Medical Center provided an inadequate opinion regarding the functional effects of the Veteran's left ear hearing loss and his employability.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient rationale in the May 2011 VA examination report regarding whether the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is related to service, including as a result of noise exposure during active duty.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current disability for which service connection can be granted, specifically bilateral hearing loss. However, the Veteran's tinnitus is related to his active service and service connection is granted.

The Board has determined that there is no credible evidence of a tinnitus disability in service or for many years thereafter, and the Veteran does not currently have hearing loss to an extent recognized as a disability. The claims for service connection are therefore denied.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss is being remanded due to the need for additional examination and discussion of the impact of his hearing loss on daily activities.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to determine if the Veteran has a current left ankle disability related to service. The claims will be readjudicated following these actions.

The Board has dismissed the appeal for service connection of left ear hearing loss due to withdrawal by the Veteran. The remaining issues have been addressed, and the Veteran's service-connected disabilities are evaluated appropriately.