Hearing loss decisions — 2014

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied. The Board found that the Veteran does not have current left ear hearing loss, lumbar spine disorder, or cervical spine disorder. For his right knee disability, a compensable rating was granted but no more than 10 percent.

The Veteran's appeal was withdrawn regarding the reopening of his claim for service connection for left ear otitis media. The Board found that bilateral mixed hearing loss and sensorineural hearing loss were not incurred or aggravated in service, as there is no evidence of such conditions within one year post-service discharge.

The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating for his bilateral hearing loss disability was denied. The reduction of the rating from 40 to 30 percent as of May 1, 2008 was also denied due to inadequate evidence.

The Board has granted service connection for left ear hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's current disability is likely due to in-service noise exposure. The issue of service connection for dizziness remains pending and will be remanded for further development.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed as he withdrew his claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. The claim of service connection for a respiratory disability remains on appeal.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development and consideration of the evidence.

The Veteran's tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss have been found to be related to service, but his DJD of the thoracolumbar spine, neck disability, and bilateral foot disability have not. The claims for these conditions are denied.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and found that the Veteran's hearing loss disability is related to his active military service, including in-service acoustic trauma. The issue of bilateral hearing loss remains pending.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and depressive disorder NOS or anxiety disorder NOS, was not incurred as a result of service. The RO denied service connection for flat feet, right knee, and left knee disabilities in 2007, but new and material evidence has been received to reopen these claims. The Veteran's tinnitus is already assigned the highest schedular rating.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional VA treatment records and a new audiological examination to determine the current severity of his bilateral hearing loss.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his military service, including exposure to acoustic trauma. The evidence does not support a finding of service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is manifested by hearing acuity no worse than Level IV in the right ear and no worse than Level II in the left ear, which does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating under VA regulations.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining employment history information and VA/SSA records. The case will be readjudicated after the development.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is manifested by average pure tone thresholds and speech discrimination scores which equate to no worse than Roman Numeral II on Table VI. The criteria for a compensable rating have not been met.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal regarding the reduction of his disability rating for bilateral hearing loss from 10 percent to noncompensable, effective December 1, 2010.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's effective date for service connection of coronary artery disease is denied as it does not meet the criteria under VA regulations.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of his bilateral hearing loss. The case will be readjudicated after this.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus are being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination, as the current opinion is based solely on normal hearing at discharge without considering the Veteran's statements about the onset of his symptoms.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development, including obtaining VA and private treatment records, conducting a VA examination to assess his bilateral hearing loss disability, and providing an opinion on the impact of service-connected disabilities on his employability.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently evaluated at 10 percent, and the evidence does not support a higher evaluation.