Hearing loss decisions — 2013

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and PTSD, as new evidence supports a diagnosis of these conditions related to in-service noise exposure and combat experience, respectively.

The Board denied service connection for left ear hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's current hearing loss did not meet VA criteria for a disability and that there was no medical evidence linking his current condition to in-service noise exposure.

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

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining VA treatment records from 1979 to 2006, scheduling a VA examination for the duodenal ulcer with gastroesophageal reflux disease, arranging for an opinion on the etiology of hypertension and pes planus, and providing a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of any hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is granted on an extraschedular basis due to his service-connected disabilities, including PTSD and cervical/lumbar spine disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to noise trauma during service, warranting service connection for both conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his military noise exposure. Service connection for skin cancer is also granted as it is at least as likely as not related to his service due to radiation exposure.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn prior to the Board issuing a decision.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The Veteran's current diagnosis of bilateral hearing loss is related to his military service, including exposure to noise during service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from engaging in substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal of the claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not meet the threshold requirement for a qualifying hearing loss disability in his right ear, as none of the interpreted pure tone thresholds meet the numerical standards enumerated by VA regulations. As such, service connection cannot be granted for hearing loss in the right ear.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including scheduling a new VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected bilateral hearing loss and obtaining an updated medical opinion regarding his ability to work due to this condition.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has been rated as noncompensable (0 percent) since October 22, 2008. The effective date for the grant of service connection for bilateral hearing loss is set at October 22, 2008.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current disabilities are related to his active duty service. The evidence is in equipoise regarding whether the conditions had their onset during service.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. Specifically, VA treatment records from Miami VAMC are requested, and a new VA examination and medical opinion are required.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for a new VA examination to determine the extent of his bilateral hearing loss, as the most recent VA audiology report did not include controlled speech discrimination testing.

The Board finds that the preponderance of evidence is against a finding that left ear hearing loss was incurred in or aggravated by active service, and sensorineural hearing loss may not be presumed to have been.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus did not have their onset during service, are not related to any in-service injury or event, and do not meet the criteria for a chronic disability under VA standards. As such, the claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are denied.

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