Hearing loss decisions — 2013

The Veteran's initial compensable evaluation for bilateral hearing loss through December 16, 2011, is granted as his auditory acuity levels correspond to an auditory acuity level of III in both ears.

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

The Board has determined that further development is needed to obtain VA and private treatment records, as well as a VA examination. The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus will be remanded.

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred in or aggravated by service. The Board found that the preponderance of evidence is against a finding that either condition is related to his service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus are due to noise exposure during service, with conflicting medical opinions resulting in a finding of equipoise. As such, service connection is granted for both conditions.

The Veteran does not have a ratable bilateral hearing loss disability due to disease or injury incurred in service. The Board denied the claim for service connection for right foot disability.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to schedule a Travel Board hearing at the Waco RO due to his request for rescheduling after he was hospitalized with injuries from a motor vehicle accident.

The Board denied an extraschedular rating for hearing loss and found that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not preclude him from obtaining substantially gainful employment, thus denying a TDIU.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have a current right ear hearing loss disability for VA purposes, and thus denied his claim of service connection.

The Veteran's appeals have been dismissed as he has withdrawn his appeal for the issues of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss and entitlement to an increased evaluation for service-connected PTSD, evaluated 30 percent disabling prior to March 30, 2012, and 50 percent thereafter.

The Board found no causal connection between the Veteran's bilateral sensorineural hearing loss and in-service noise exposure, leading to a denial of service connection.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are related to his military service.

The Board found no evidence of left ear hearing loss or bilateral knee disorders for VA purposes during service. The Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an effective date earlier than March 1, 2009 for payment of additional compensation for his current spouse. The decision was based on the fact that notice of his marriage to his current spouse was not received at the RO within one year of their marriage or prior to February 10, 2009.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss has been rated as noncompensable since the grant of service connection in September 2009. The VA examination conducted in July 2009 showed no more than Level I hearing acuity in the right ear and Level V in the left ear, with an average pure tone threshold of 50 dB in the right ear and 60 dB in the left ear. These findings do not meet the criteria for a compensable rating under VA's rating schedule.

The Veteran's service-connected tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss have been rated based on their current severity. The initial evaluation for tinnitus is at the maximum allowed, while an increased rating above 10 percent for bilateral hearing loss up to May 4, 2009, was denied.

Throughout the entire initial rating period, the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was manifested by average pure tone air conduction thresholds of no worse than 70 decibels in the right ear and 68.75 decibels in the left ear, with speech recognition ability of 80 percent in the right ear and 84 percent in the left ear. The Veteran's disability has not been compensably disabling under VA rating criteria.

The Board found that the Veteran's hearing loss did not meet VA regulations for a current disability and thus denied service connection.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is currently rated at 50 percent, and the Board finds no evidence to support a higher rating.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including bilateral hearing loss, were denied as there was no evidence of a nexus between the current disabilities and his military service.