Hearing loss decisions — 2012

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was found to be manifested by Level I hearing acuity in both ears, resulting in a noncompensable rating. The criteria for a compensable rating were not met.

The Board finds that the Veteran does not have current bilateral hearing loss or arthritis related to his military service and thus denies both claims.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a new hearing before the Board of Veterans' Appeals.

The appeal has been dismissed as the appellant, through his authorized representative, has withdrawn it.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining VA and non-VA treatment records related to his hearing loss and tinnitus. The RO will also schedule the Veteran for a VA audiometric examination.

The Veteran's tinnitus is found to be causally related to service, and the Board grants service connection for this condition. The issue of bilateral hearing loss remains pending as it was not addressed in the decision.

The Board has determined that additional evidence is needed to fully and correctly adjudicate the Veteran's claims, including verification of his periods of active duty for training (ACDUTRA) and inactive duty for training (INACDUTRA), as well as obtaining any outstanding medical records. The case is therefore being REMANDED.

The Veteran's appeals to reopen his service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not perfected, as he did not file a substantive appeal within the required time frame. The Board lacks jurisdiction to consider these issues.

The Veteran has been granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, both found to be related to in-service noise exposure.,Service connection is also granted for arthritis of multiple joints and residuals of a bilateral foot injury.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and service treatment records. The case will be adjudicated again after these developments.

The Board has granted service connection for hearing loss and left ankle disabilities, finding that these conditions are related to the Veteran's military service. However, the Board denied service connection for left ankle disabilities of the talus and cuneiform bones, attributing them to a post-service injury.

The Board found that a bilateral hearing loss disability was not incurred in or aggravated during the Veteran's period of active duty and could not be presumed based on the one-year presumption for a chronic disease following the period of active duty.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is granted as incurred in active service, with the Board finding that there was sufficient evidence to support a nexus between his current condition and his military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not service-connected, as there is no evidence of in-service noise exposure or a compensable degree of hearing loss within one year post-service. The Veteran's current conditions are more likely due to occupational noise exposure during his civilian career.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is being remanded for additional development to determine his employability due to service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, hearing loss, and left hand disability.

The Veteran's hearing acuity was found to be within normal limits in all frequencies, warranting a non-compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss, left knee joint pain, and hypertension was denied by the Board. The evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating in any of these cases.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal regarding the issue of entitlement to a higher initial rating for bilateral hearing loss disability.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, in conjunction with his education/training and work experience, render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has dismissed the appeal due to the appellant's withdrawal of the appeal.