Hearing loss decisions — 2014

The Veteran does not have bilateral hearing loss that is related to his period of active service.

The Board found that the Veteran's right ear hearing loss did not have its clinical onset in service and is not otherwise related to active duty. The claim was denied as there was no evidence of a nexus between his current condition and military service.

The Board denied reopening the claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and granted a compensable rating (20%) for hemorrhoids. The Veteran's current symptoms of itching, pain, and swelling are addressed by the rating criteria.

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss and tinnitus are found to be related to his service, with the Board granting service connection for these conditions. Other claims of service connection have been granted.

The Veteran's pre-existing bilateral hearing loss increased in severity during his second period of active service, and the Board has granted service connection by way of aggravation.

The Board has decided to remand the case for additional development, including obtaining private treatment records and VA examination reports regarding hypertension and cataracts. The claims will be reconsidered after this additional development.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss disability has been manifested by Level VII hearing acuity in the right ear and Level V hearing acuity in the left ear since August 24, 2010. The criteria for an evaluation of 30 percent have been met.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are granted as the evidence supports a finding of service connection based on credible assertions of in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is currently rated at 30 percent, which is the maximum schedular rating for service-connected bilateral hearing loss. The Veteran's tinnitus disability is currently rated at 10 percent, as it is considered a single evaluation due to recurrent tinnitus.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss had its onset in service and is granted as service-connected. The low back disability remains at a 10% rating.

The Board denied service connection for residuals of head, neck and back injuries due to the Veteran's own misconduct. The claim was reopened based on new VA medical records but not material as they do not contradict the August 2005 finding that the injuries were caused by willful misconduct. Service connection for hearing loss is remanded due to inadequate examination.

The Veteran is seeking service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, which she attributes to in-service noise exposure. The claims file does not contain post-service treatment records related to her use of prescribed hearing aids. The case is remanded to ensure compliance with VA's duty to assist the Veteran.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right ear hearing loss is related to service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's back disability is related to service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for the issue of service connection for bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, COPD, emphysema, and a back disability are granted. The claim for an initial rating in excess of 30 percent for PTSD is denied.

The Veteran's initial claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss was granted, and he is currently receiving a 10 percent rating for his condition. The RO has also assigned a higher rating of 10 percent effective July 31, 2012.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was not incurred in or aggravated by service and denied his claim for service connection. The TDIU issue is remanded due to new evidence received since the last statement of the case.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss, finding that there was no current evidence of a disability or link to service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA and private medical records, scheduling the Veteran for a VA audiological examination to assess his hearing loss, and scheduling him for a VA examination to determine the combined effect of his service-connected disabilities on his employability.