Hearing loss decisions — 2013

The Veteran's initial claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss has been denied as his audiometric testing did not show any worse than Level I hearing acuity in either ear, warranting a noncompensable rating.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability is at least as likely as not related to his military service, including exposure to acoustic trauma during his ACDUTRA duty. As such, service connection for bilateral hearing loss is granted.

The Veteran's dysfunctional uterine bleeding, menorrhagia, and dysmenorrhea were related to her active service.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has been rated as noncompensable, and the Board finds that he does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.

The Board has determined that there is no clear and unmistakable evidence to rebut the presumption of soundness at entry into service, and therefore, the Veteran's TBI residuals are presumed to have existed prior to service. The VA examiner concluded that the Veteran's current right ear hearing loss did not occur during or as a result of his military service.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeals regarding the increased ratings for diabetes mellitus, type II; peripheral neuropathy of the right and left lower extremities; and bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current disability for which service connection can be granted, as his hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to service. The low back disability is also not related to service.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for further development due to incomplete medical records and need for additional opinions regarding the etiology of the veteran's bilateral hearing loss and ankle disabilities.

The Board has decided to remand the case for additional development, including obtaining an addendum from a VA audiologist regarding the cause of the Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are at least as likely as not incurred due to in-service noise exposure.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that it is not related to his military service and does not result from a service-connected disability.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was rated at 50 percent from July 15, 2004 to November 1, 2009.

The Veteran's appeal for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) prior to October 10, 2008, on an extraschedular basis has been withdrawn.

The Veteran's death was not caused or contributed substantially or materially by his service-connected disabilities, including coronary artery disease related to herbicide exposure. The Board denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death.

The Board found that the appellant's cellulitis, right ear hearing loss, and hypertension were not incurred in or related to his active service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development of his VA treatment records, specifically an audiogram from December 2012 at the Erie VAMC. The case will be reviewed by the RO after this development.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and ischemic heart disease are being remanded due to the need for additional development including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a VA examination.

The Veteran's initial claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss was granted, and he is currently receiving a 10% disability rating from August 2, 2012. The Board finds that the current ratings adequately reflect his hearing impairment.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were granted, with the hearing loss being related to in-service noise exposure. The claim for tinnitus was also granted based on service connection. However, his PTSD and prostate cancer disability ratings remain unchanged.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was evaluated as noncompensable (0 percent) based on the audiometric results provided. The disability did not meet or approximate the criteria for a compensable rating under any of the applicable diagnostic codes.