Hearing loss decisions — 2014

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current disability for which service connection can be granted, as his hypertension was not shown to be related to service and he did not meet VA's criteria for financial assistance or specially adapted housing.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection and rating of hearing loss due to additional development being required.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including myocardial infarction, PTSD, tinnitus, and bilateral hearing loss, have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.

The Board has determined that additional development is necessary before the claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss can be decided. The Veteran's current hearing loss may not be related to his in-service noise exposure, but a VA audiologist will need to provide an opinion on whether it is at least as likely as not caused by his military service.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for a colon disability, rectum disability, and whether new and material evidence had been submitted to reopen claims for an acoustic neuroma and skin disability have all been withdrawn. The Board has dismissed these issues.

The Veteran's initial compensable rating for erectile dysfunction and his claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss were both denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a compensable rating for erectile dysfunction, as there was no evidence of penis deformity with loss of erectile power. For bilateral hearing loss, the evidence did not show in-service acoustic trauma or chronic symptoms warranting a current disability.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is related to noise exposure during his military service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Board finds that the Veteran's tinnitus is less likely as not caused by or a result of military noise exposure, but service connection for tinnitus is granted due to credible assertions from the Veteran. The issue of bilateral hearing loss remains pending and requires further development.

The Board has reduced the Veteran's disability rating for bilateral hearing loss from 20 percent to 10 percent, effective July 1, 2012. The evidence shows a clear improvement in the severity of his hearing loss.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal regarding the issue of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, and thus the case is dismissed without prejudice.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims to reopen his service connection claims for a right wrist condition, bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus as new and material evidence was not submitted.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for left ear hearing loss was denied. The effective date of service connection for tinnitus has been changed to July 24, 2008, but the issue remains pending and requires a statement of the case.

The Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss did not manifest during service or within one year of separation and is not otherwise related to noise exposure during active service.

The Board has denied the appellant's claim to reopen her previously denied claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death, as she did not submit new and material evidence.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate examination and missing VA treatment records. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss claim will be reconsidered after these issues are addressed.

The Board has remanded the case to the AOJ for referral to the Director of Compensation and Pension Service for extra-schedular consideration on the issue of entitlement to a TDIU. The Veteran's claim will be re-adjudicated considering this determination.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including a VA examination and a memorandum from a vocational rehabilitation specialist to determine if he is unemployable due to service-connected disabilities. The claim will be referred to the Director of Compensation and Pension Service for consideration of whether TDIU is warranted.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from securing and following substantially gainful employment.

The Board is remanding the case to consider an extraschedular evaluation for bilateral hearing loss disability, as the Court found that the Board's decision on this matter was inadequate.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to deficiencies in previous VA opinions regarding the onset of hearing loss, tinnitus, and carpal tunnel syndrome during periods of active duty for training (ACDUTRA) or inactive duty training (INACDUTRA).