Hearing loss decisions — 2012

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

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, skin rash, and heart disability were granted. Service connection was established for PTSD with a rating of 30 percent. The Veteran's claim for TDIU due to service-connected disability was also granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his active service, and therefore denied both claims.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining an ENT evaluation and a VA audiology examination to assess the current severity of his bilateral hearing loss and its impact on daily activities and employment.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, right ear hearing loss, and left ear hearing loss were denied as the evidence did not establish a link between these conditions and his military service.

The Board finds that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability is related to his in-service exposure to acoustic trauma, and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, residuals of shrapnel wounds to the head, hands, and legs, and migraine headaches (claimed as secondary to shrapnel wounds) due to a lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board has granted service connection for a bilateral hearing loss disability, finding that the Veteran's current hearing loss is related to his in-service noise exposure.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed seizure disorder, bilateral hearing loss, and sleep disorder were not incurred or aggravated during active service.,There is no evidence linking these conditions to service, including any alleged exposure to asbestos.

The Board has ordered a remand to obtain another medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's left ear hearing loss, as it relates to his military service and noise exposure. The case will be readjudicated after this additional development.

The Veteran was granted service connection for tinnitus and psoriatic arthritis. Service connection was denied for hearing loss in either ear due to noise exposure during service. The issue of service connection for a back disability is being remanded.,Service connection for psoriatic arthritis was established as the condition was related to cold exposure in service.

The Veteran's bilateral sensorineural hearing loss has not been manifested by findings more severe than a pure-tone average of 59 decibels with 94 percent speech discrimination (Level I) in the right ear, and a pure-tone average of 54 decibels with 96 percent speech discrimination (Level I) in the left ear. The Veteran's skin condition involving his face and head had an onset during his period of service.

The Veteran's claims for higher initial ratings for bilateral hearing loss and PTSD have been denied as the rating schedule is adequate to evaluate these disabilities, and there are no related factors such as marked interference with employment or frequent periods of hospitalization.

The Veteran's death was not due to willful misconduct, but he did not meet the criteria for DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318 as his service-connected disabilities were not rated at 100% disabling for a continuous period of at least one year prior to his death.

The Board has determined that the VA medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is inadequate and requires further development, including a new examination to determine if there is any link between his military service and his current hearing disability.

The Veteran's claims for hearing loss and tinnitus are being remanded due to insufficient evidence, and further development is needed.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are likely related to his service, including exposure to loud noise on the flight deck of an aircraft carrier. As a result, the claims for service connection have been granted.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to his death. The Board does not have jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits of this case.

The Board has remanded the case due to missing VA medical records and will review the claim again after obtaining these records.

The Board found that the Veteran's current right ear hearing loss was not incurred or aggravated by his active duty service and denied his claim.