Hearing loss decisions — 2012

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied as his claimed conditions are not related to his active duty service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are granted, as there is evidence to support these conditions began in service and have persisted since separation.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to ensure procedural due process compliance and to obtain a complete record upon which to decide the claims. The Veteran needs to be rescheduled for VA examinations to determine whether he currently suffers from diagnosed disabilities, including left shoulder disorder, hearing loss, tinnitus, lung disorder, and back disorder.

The Board found no evidence of hearing loss or tinnitus in service and denied the Veteran's claims for service connection.

The Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is considered to be related to his in-service noise exposure, and the Board has granted service connection for this condition.

The evidence does not establish that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is related to his military service, and therefore, service connection for this condition cannot be granted.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that new and material evidence has been presented.,Service connection is granted for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus as these conditions are related to acoustic noise exposure during active service.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain additional medical opinions regarding the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, as the previous VA examination opinion was inadequate.

The Veteran's current psychiatric disabilities, including PTSD and Major Depressive Disorder, are found to be the result of an in-service stressor. Service connection is granted for these conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is causally related to his military service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied, as his service-connected hearing loss disability is manifested by Level I hearing loss, bilaterally.

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

The Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss has been reopened and granted. His initial disability rating for diabetic nephropathy with hypertension is increased to 30 percent, effective November 17, 2008. The compensable evaluation for erectile dysfunction remains unchanged.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and a left eye disorder, but denied both claims on the merits. The evidence does not establish current disability or in-service noise exposure that would support service connection.

The Veteran's hypertension is not service-connected as there is no evidence of a disability within the first post-service year and no link to service.,Bilateral hearing loss was not found, with both ears meeting normal hearing criteria. Service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied.,Service connection for undescended left testicle is not granted as it is considered a congenital defect without evidence of a superimposed disability.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are found to be related to service, while his infectious hepatitis is rated at a compensable level based on its effects.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected right shoulder, lumbar spine, and knee disabilities. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was also addressed in a separate decision.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a service connection for hepatitis C or any other condition, and thus denied all claims.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was rated at 20 percent since November 22, 2008. The claim for an earlier effective date is denied.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received, allowing the claim of service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death to be reopened. The August 2012 VA medical expert opinion supports a finding that the seizure disorder was related to the in-service head injury.