Hearing loss decisions — 2012

The Board finds that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are likely due to noise exposure during his military service, including as a tail gunner on B-17 bombers. Service connection is granted for these conditions.

The Veteran's incarceration does not allow for apportionment of his compensation benefits to his spouse as he is not a proper claimant.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for right and left ear hearing loss disabilities, finding no evidence to support current diagnoses or a nexus between in-service noise exposure and his claimed conditions. The acquired psychiatric disorder claim was remanded.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is causally related to noise exposure during his military service and granted his claim.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA medical records and arranging for a VA examination to determine if the Veteran's current disabilities are related to service exposure.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus are causally related to his military service, granting service connection for both conditions.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the evidence did not support a nexus to service.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD, but denied it on its underlying merits. The claim for bilateral hearing loss was also denied.

The Board granted service connection for the Veteran's inguinal hernia, bilateral, postoperative with scar and assigned a 10 percent disability rating effective from October 20, 2006. The decision also addressed other issues of service connection but did not reach a final determination on them.

The Board has determined that there is no evidence of a scarred right ear drum during the Veteran's active duty service. The Veteran's STRs do not reflect any clinical findings or treatment for a scarred right ear drum, and his STRs were reported as normal. There is also no credible evidence to support the Veteran's claim that he was informed by a medical examiner in March 1970 of having a scarred left ear drum.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is caused by his service-connected left ear hearing loss, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are found to be due to in-service exposure to loud noise, while his low back disability is linked to a combat-related injury. The claims for service connection are granted.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for groin abscess, left side; prostate cancer secondary to asbestos exposure; and hearing loss have been denied as there is no evidence of a current disability or etiological link to service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional VA treatment records, STRs, and examinations. The claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, headaches, low back disability, and cervical spine disability are pending.

The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for low back disability and granted a compensable evaluation for bilateral hearing loss. The Veteran's current hearing loss disability is currently manifested by an average pure tone decibel loss of 49 with 96 percent speech discrimination in both ears.

The Board has remanded the case due to an equipment malfunction during a scheduled videoconference hearing, and the Veteran's representative requested a Travel Board hearing instead. The case is now pending for scheduling of this hearing.

The Veteran's hearing loss was found to be at Level III in each ear, resulting in a noncompensable rating under the VA Rating Schedule for hearing impairment. The current evidence does not support an increase in disability rating.

The Board found that the Veteran's hearing loss was not incurred in service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the issue of service connection for bilateral hearing loss is moot due to a full grant of benefits, and therefore the appeal is dismissed.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss. Service connection is granted as the Veteran's current bilateral sensorineural hearing loss disability is found to be related to his in-service noise exposure.