Hearing loss decisions — 2014

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss is found to be due to in-service noise exposure and service connection is granted.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was granted an increased rating to 20 percent effective September 24, 2009. The left ankle disability issue is pending and will be addressed in the remand portion of this decision.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and medical opinions regarding his hearing loss, tinnitus, PTSD, prostate problems, and hypertension. The issues of service connection are inextricably intertwined with the hearing loss claim.

The Board finds that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his active service, including exposure to significant acoustic trauma while serving as a tank driver. As such, both conditions have been granted service connection.

The Veteran's death was caused by CAD, which is presumed to be due to herbicide exposure in service. The Veteran did not have any of the claimed conditions at the time of his death and there is no evidence linking them to service.

The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for service-connected bilateral hearing loss is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining pure tone threshold results from a previous VA audiological evaluation and scheduling him for a new examination.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of a cold injury to the feet, eczema, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, right knee disorder, left knee disorder, and flat feet were denied. The claim for an increased rating for athlete's foot was also denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining Social Security Administration records and scheduling a social and industrial survey to determine if his service-connected disabilities preclude him from securing and following substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran was granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss effective from June 4, 2010.,He was also awarded additional compensation for a dependent spouse effective from June 2, 2008.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims to reopen his service connection claims for right and left knee disabilities, as well as left ear hearing loss. The evidence submitted since the July 2008 rating decision does not relate to an unestablished fact necessary to substantiate these claims.

The Board has granted service connection for hepatitis C, but denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to the lack of a statement of the case (SOC) addressing these issues. The Veteran must be provided with an SOC so that he can file a substantive appeal if he wishes to continue his appeal.

The Board found that the Veteran's eosinophilia, bilateral hearing loss disability, and tinnitus were not incurred in or aggravated by service. The claims for these conditions are therefore denied.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is rated at 0 percent and his low back strain with thoracolumbar spine degenerative disc disease is not higher than a 10 percent rating.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current condition is related to his in-service noise exposure. Service connection was denied for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and examination, including obtaining additional medical records and scheduling a VA examination. The issues include service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, hypertension, and an acquired psychiatric disorder.

The Board has dismissed the appeal due to the Veteran's death, and no jurisdiction remains for the merits of the case.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus disabilities, combined for purposes of TDIU eligibility, preclude him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board denied the claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran did not file a formal or informal claim prior to September 21, 2005. The appeal is dismissed.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. The criteria for establishing service connection have been met, with both conditions found to be related to military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's death was not caused by his service-connected disabilities, and therefore DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318 are denied.