Hearing loss decisions — 2013

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed conditions are not service-connected, with no presumption of exposure to ionizing radiation. The VA opinions found no evidence linking the current conditions to his military service.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss is rated at 20 percent since August 19, 2013. Prior to that date, the disability was not compensable.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for hearing loss of the right ear was denied as he does not currently have a diagnosed condition. The Board found that his left ear hearing loss is presumed to be due to in-service noise exposure, but did not find any evidence linking tinnitus to service.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred in or aggravated by service, as there was no evidence of a current disability related to military noise exposure. The preponderance of the evidence is against a finding of service connection for these conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of bilateral hearing loss in either ear, and thus cannot establish service connection for this condition. The left ear hearing loss is currently rated as normal to mild sensorineural hearing loss, which does not meet VA's criteria for a ratable disability.

The Veteran's TDIU claim was granted, as his combined service-connected disabilities (80% and later 90%) meet the criteria for a TDIU. The VA examiner found that all of the Veteran's service-connected conditions, including diabetes mellitus type 2, aggravated his rosacea.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examination and opinion.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was not aggravated by service, and the Board found no increase in disability during service. The Veteran's tinnitus was not related to his active duty service.,Tinnitus was diagnosed after service but is not considered a result of noise exposure during service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a more contemporaneous VA examination and additional VA treatment records.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his military service, including exposure to noise from grenades, M-16 rifles, trucks, and engine explosions. As a result, the claims for service connection have been granted.

The Board finds that the Veteran's hearing loss was aggravated by his in-service noise exposure, and grants service connection for bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal of the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus before a decision was made by the Board.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred in or aggravated by service.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability was evaluated, and it corresponds to a noncompensable evaluation under the applicable rating criteria.

The Board has remanded the case for a new VA examination to determine if the Veteran's current hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his in-service noise exposure or his pre-existing bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date of December 2, 1965 was granted as the evidence showed in-service noise exposure from a mortar accident. The Board found that while sufficient information existed to identify and obtain relevant service department records at the time of the January 2003 denial, it did not exist when the January 1966 decision was made.

The Veteran's tinnitus was found to have first manifested during service and has persisted since then, warranting service connection. The right ear hearing loss disability by regulation is not shown at any time during the appeal period, thus preventing service connection.

The Board has granted an effective date of July 21, 1989 for a TDIU based on the Veteran's service-connected disabilities and his inability to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hearing loss does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating at any time during the appeal period.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is being remanded due to the need to reconcile conflicting audiometric results from November 2008 and determine if his current hearing loss disability is related to noise exposure in service.