Hearing loss decisions — 2013

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was rated as 10 percent disabling effective September 22, 2011. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating prior to this date.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to allow him to have a videoconference hearing before a Veterans Law Judge.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were found to be related to his military service, warranting service connection for these conditions.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for status post splenectomy residuals, bilateral hearing loss disability, and tinnitus. The effective date of any grant of benefits is February 26, 2009.

The Veteran's claim for an initial increased rating for bilateral hearing loss prior to June 20, 2005 and from June 20, 2005 to June 4, 2007 was denied as the evidence did not show that his bilateral hearing loss had become worse since the last assigned rating.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability. The Veteran is scheduled for a VA examination to determine the etiology of his current bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development due to the need for a VA examination and additional medical records.

The Board has decided to remand the case for additional development, including obtaining Army Reserve personnel records and scheduling a VA examination. The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus will be reconsidered after this additional development.

The Veteran's appeals for an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss and increased rating for a deviated septum as a fracture residual are remanded. The appeal also includes claims for service connection for headaches and a psychiatric disorder, which have been referred to the RO.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss does not warrant a compensable disability rating, as his audiometric results do not meet the criteria for a higher evaluation.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation as of February 26, 2010. The Board grants an effective date of February 26, 2010 for the award of a TDIU.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining a VA audiological examination and reviewing a March 18, 1991 audiogram report.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's lumbar spine disorder, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus are not service-connected as they did not have their clinical onset in active service or are otherwise causally related to active service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and right inguinal hernia was denied. The Board found no current compensable diagnosis of bilateral hearing loss, and the examiner noted that the Veteran did not have a pre-existing right inguinal hernia during service.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his military service, as there was no evidence of hearing impairment during service and the medical opinion concluded that the current conditions are more likely due to post-service occupational noise exposure. The claim for service connection is therefore denied.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is manifested by audiometric test results corresponding to a numeric designation of at most Level I for his right ear and Level I for his left ear. The criteria for a compensable rating have not been met.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for bilateral hearing loss has been dismissed due to his death.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss remains in appellate status, with the RO having granted a 40 percent rating effective August 27, 2012. The issue of entitlement to an increased rating prior to that date is still pending.

The Veteran's initial claim for an increased evaluation for bilateral hearing loss was denied. The evidence showed that his hearing acuity improved slightly from November 2007 to March 2013, warranting a 40% rating effective March 14, 2013.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently rated as noncompensable, and the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted.