Hearing loss decisions — 2014

The Veteran's tinnitus has been granted service connection and rated at 10 percent.,Since February 15, 2012, the Veteran's PTSD is rated at 50 percent.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for right and left ear hearing loss due to additional development being needed, including obtaining updated treatment records and scheduling a VA audiological examination.

The Board has remanded the case due to new evidence received since the February 2012 supplemental statement of the case. The issues on appeal are service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability has been withdrawn. The Board also dismissed the claim for tinnitus as there is no evidence to support its occurrence during service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to address the claims of service connection for various disabilities, including a low back disability, respiratory disorders, bilateral hearing loss, and bilateral hand disabilities. The VA will obtain medical records, provide new examinations, and consider the Veteran's complaints and history in determining the etiology of his conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, but denied service connection for left ear hearing loss and right ear hearing loss.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss did not meet or approximate the criteria for a compensable disability rating under VA's Schedule for Rating Disabilities.

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss is manifested by pure tone threshold averages and speech recognition scores that correspond to no more than a level 'I' hearing on the right, resulting in a noncompensable rating.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss was denied, as the evidence did not show sufficient hearing loss to be considered a ratable disability. The claim for an increased rating for status post shrapnel wound with scar and residual left VIII intercostal neuritis is remanded due to the need for issuance of a Statement of the Case.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn prior to the Board making a decision.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right ear hearing loss, bilateral residuals of shin splints, a left shoulder disability, lower respiratory disease (bronchitis and asthma), and gastrointestinal disability (GERD/gastritis).

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is due to noise exposure during service and grants service connection for this condition. The right ear hearing loss claim remains pending as it does not involve a direct service connection.

The Veteran's sleep apnea is not related to his military service or service-connected PTSD.,There is no evidence of left ear hearing loss during service, and the current condition does not meet VA criteria for a disability.

The Board has granted service connection for left ear hearing loss and found that the Veteran's current diagnosis of left ear hearing loss is related to his military service. For the entire initial rating period on appeal, audiometric testing has revealed at worst an average puretone threshold of 31 decibels in the right ear.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus, render him unable to follow a substantially gainful occupation. The Board finds that the criteria for TDIU have been met.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have hearing loss or hypertension due to service, and these conditions are not secondary to any service-connected disability.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss has been granted. The issue of entitlement to a disability rating in excess of 0 percent for service-connected otitis externa and media is also addressed, but the decision summary focuses on the grant of service connection.

The Veteran's initial claim for a higher rating for his bilateral hearing loss was denied prior to May 29, 2012. Since then, he has been granted a 20% rating effective from May 29, 2012.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to his failure to report for a scheduled Travel Board hearing. The case will be returned to the Board after proper notice and scheduling of another hearing.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to technical difficulties with the hearing transcript. The case will be returned for scheduling a new videoconference hearing at the RO.