Hearing loss decisions — 2013

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss is related to acoustic trauma in military service and the Board has granted entitlement to service connection for this condition. The issue of tinnitus remains pending as it was not addressed by the RO.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete service records and a need for a new VA examination of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are attributable to his active military service, and thus grants service connection for these conditions.

The Board has found that the Veteran's left eye disability is not service-connected due to lack of competent medical evidence linking his current condition to service. Service connection for bilateral hearing loss was denied as well.

The Board found that a hearing loss did not have its clinical onset in service and is not otherwise related to active duty, concluding that bilateral hearing loss was not incurred or aggravated in service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was not incurred in or aggravated by active military service and is not secondary to a service-connected disability. The VA examinations consistently found that the left ear hearing loss is due to natural aging, rather than military service.

The Veteran's initial disability rating for service-connected diabetes mellitus was increased to 20 percent effective July 20, 2011. His tinnitus is rated at the maximum schedular evaluation of 10 percent. The hearing loss remains noncompensable.

The Veteran's tinnitus is found to be causally related to his military service or his service-connected bilateral sensorineural hearing loss.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is at least as likely as not due to noise exposure and/or acoustic trauma during military service, granting his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were caused by in-service noise exposure, and the Board has granted service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including audiometric testing and a dose estimate of radiation exposure. The peripheral neuropathy claim is also being remanded as it is inextricably intertwined with the prostate and colon cancer claims.

The Board has determined that additional medical opinions are needed to address the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete or inadequate previous opinions.

The Veteran is seeking a VA clothing allowance due to the need to wear knee braces. The issue of service connection for his left and right knee disabilities, as well as other conditions like hearing loss, tinnitus, and prostate cancer, are pending before the Board.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for various conditions were denied, and the Board found no new and material evidence to reopen any of these claims.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral sensorineural hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred in or aggravated by active duty, nor may they be presumed to have been so incurred or aggravated. The evidence did not demonstrate a nexus between current disability and service.

The Board denied service connection for a right ear hearing loss disability, low back disorder, and right hip disorder. The Veteran's current disabilities are not shown to be related to his active duty or the service-connected residuals of a shrapnel wound to the right buttock.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is granted, and he is awarded a 20% rating for his right elbow disability since September 16, 2013. The issues of service connection for the hearing loss and initial evaluation for the right elbow are both resolved in favor of the Veteran.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his military service, specifically exposure to noise during active duty. As a result, the claims for service connection have been granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims of service connection for a dental condition, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and vertigo have been denied as there is no new and material evidence to reopen the claim for a dental condition. The Board also found that his bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his military service.

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss is not found to be service-connected.,Service connection for left ear hearing loss has been granted.