Hearing loss decisions — 2012

The Board found that the Veteran's head trauma and hearing loss were not incurred or aggravated by his active duty service, as there was no clear and unmistakable evidence showing pre-existing conditions worsened during service.

The Veteran's hearing loss disability is rated at the noncompensable level, and he seeks an extraschedular evaluation. The Board found that his symptoms are adequately addressed by the current rating schedule and there is no evidence of marked interference with employment or frequent periods of hospitalization.

The Veteran's service connection claim for a low back disorder, bilateral leg disorder, diabetes mellitus, and bilateral hearing loss was denied.,No current right or left leg disability was found. The Veteran has been granted service connection for left ear hearing loss.

The Veteran's nausea is considered a symptom of his service-connected right ear hearing loss and tinnitus, which are already established. The Board grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that there is no evidence to support the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, arthritis of the finger, arthritis of the shoulder, cold weather residuals of the lower and upper extremities. The preponderance of the evidence is against finding any current disabilities are related to military service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining private medical records and scheduling VA examinations. The claims will be reconsidered after these steps are completed.

The Veteran's bilateral sensorineural hearing loss has not been manifested by findings more severe than a pure-tone average of 38 decibels with 96 percent speech discrimination (Level I) in the right ear, and a pure-tone average of 43 decibels with 94 percent speech discrimination (Level I) in the left ear. As such, he does not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation.

The Board has determined that the Veteran did not timely file a substantive appeal regarding his claims of service connection for heart disease, hypertension, bilateral hearing loss, and bilateral tinnitus. The claim of service connection for chronic lymphocytic leukemia was denied due to lack of evidence of exposure to herbicides or service in Vietnam.

The Veteran's bilateral hand tremors are rated at 30 percent since May 26, 2011. The initial ratings for degenerative joint disease of the right and left knees remain at 10 percent.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection are not resolved and requires additional development, including VA examinations to address his hearing loss, tinnitus, GERD, and low back disability.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus disabilities are related to his military noise exposure, which is considered direct service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current disability of bilateral hearing loss for VA compensation purposes, and thus service connection is denied.

The Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus is being remanded for additional development.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including a VA audiology examination to assess the severity of his hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Board found that the Veteran's currently diagnosed right ear hearing loss did not originate in service and is not related to any incident during service. As a result, the claim for service connection was denied.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus did not have their onset during active military service, nor are they presumed to have been incurred in active duty. The claims for service connection were denied.

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

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine the current severity of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and to obtain relevant treatment records. The TDIU claim is also inextricably intertwined with the increased rating issue, so it must be remanded as well.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is found to be as likely as not related to his active military service, and the Board grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. Resolving reasonable doubt in his favor, the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is found to be incurred during active military service due to noise exposure. Similarly, recurring tinnitus is also found to be related to his military service.