Hearing loss decisions — 2012

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is at least as likely as not related to exposure to acoustic trauma in service, and the Board grants service connection for this condition.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there was no evidence of in-service noise exposure or current disabilities related to his active duty service.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for his service-connected left foot disorder, low back disorder, tendonitis of the right knee, and bilateral hearing loss were granted. The initial evaluations assigned prior to February 8, 2007, for left foot disorder are 20 percent; beginning February 8, 2007, they are 10 percent. For low back disorder, the initial evaluation is 30 percent beginning March 31, 2011. The right knee tendonitis initially received a noncompensable evaluation and then a 10 percent evaluation beginning March 11, 2008; it remains at a noncompensable evaluation for hearing loss.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disorder is not related to service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran was granted service connection for right ear hearing loss, but denied for left ear hearing loss. The Board found that the Veteran's right ear hearing loss is a result of in-service noise exposure and resolved reasonable doubt in his favor. For the left ear, there was no evidence showing a compensable disability within one year of separation from active duty.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including calcaneal spurs, hearing loss, and tinnitus, do not preclude him from securing and maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus. The Veteran's current hearing loss disability and tinnitus are reasonably related to his military service, including exposure to loud noises while serving with the artillery in Vietnam.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability has been rated as noncompensable throughout the appeal period. The VA examinations have consistently shown that his hearing acuity does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.

The Veteran's bilateral sensorineural hearing loss has not been found to be severe enough for a compensable evaluation.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for special monthly compensation based on need for aid and attendance of another or being housebound, a special home adaptation grant, specially adapted housing, or automobile and adaptive equipment.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current hearing loss disability for VA purposes, and thus service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied. The last VA examination related to his left ring finger tendonitis was in December 2007, which may be outdated.

The Veteran's hearing loss is being remanded for further examination and opinion to determine if it is related to service exposure, as his combat service establishes noise exposure. The current separation audiometric results are not considered in determining the relationship between the current condition and service.

The Veteran's tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss are found to be related to service exposure, while the skin disorder is not presumed due to Agent Orange exposure.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is manifested by no more than Level I hearing loss in both ears, with speech recognition scores ranging from 92 to 98. The RO granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and assigned a noncompensable rating.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred in or aggravated by active duty service, nor may they be presumed to have been incurred therein. Therefore, his claims for service connection for these conditions were denied.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss disability has been rated as noncompensable since its grant of service connection. The VA examinations conducted have shown that the Veteran's hearing acuity is at Level I in both ears, corresponding to a noncompensable evaluation under the rating schedule.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are being remanded due to the need for a VA examination to determine their etiology.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including chondromalacia of the patellae, urinary tract infection, sinusitis, epidymitis, bronchitis, left ear hearing loss, tinnitus, rash (including tinea), and an acquired psychiatric disorder. The evidence submitted since the March 1989 RO decision is not new or material to reopen these claims.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have current hearing loss or hypertension for VA compensation purposes, and therefore service connection cannot be granted.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss does not preclude him from obtaining or maintaining gainful employment.