Hearing loss decisions — 2014

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current right ear hearing disability for VA purposes and finds that there is no evidence of an in-service injury or disease resulting in such a disability. The left ear hearing loss disability is found to be less likely than not related to service, while tinnitus is found to be at least as likely as not related to service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for asbestosis, bilateral sensorineural hearing loss, and tinnitus. The evidence did not establish current diagnoses or a nexus to service.

The Board finds that it is at least as likely as not that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability resulted from noise exposure during his periods of active duty for training (ACDUTRA) and inactive duty for training (INACDUTRA) in the National Guard. The service connection is granted.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral sensorineural hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred or aggravated by service, as there was no evidence of such during service or within one year after discharge. The VA examiner opined against a direct relationship between the current disabilities and military noise exposure.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his military service, with current evidence showing a link between in-service noise exposure and these conditions. As such, the claims for service connection have been granted.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for low back pain/ruptured disc syndrome, but denied it due to lack of new and material evidence.,Service connection was not granted for hearing loss as there is no evidence showing its onset during or within one year after service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed conditions of bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and sinusitis are not related to his military service. The evidence does not establish a link between these conditions and his active duty service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for extension of a temporary total rating beyond April 30, 2012 and service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus. The right knee disorder was granted based on secondary service connection to the left knee disability.

The Board found that the Veteran's PTSD is not due to a verified in-service stressor and denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a retrospective opinion addressing the impact of his hearing loss on his daily functioning for the period before July 7, 2009.

The Veteran is entitled to service connection for right ear hearing loss and bilateral heel spurs. His hypertension was not incurred or aggravated during service.,Right ear hearing loss is considered a disability based on auditory threshold measurements, and the Veteran experienced in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is being remanded due to the need for additional examination and consideration of new evidence.

The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable disability rating and a rating in excess of 20 percent from September 19, 2008, for bilateral hearing loss disability is being remanded due to the need for additional development.

The Board finds that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus did not manifest to a compensable degree within one year following service discharge, and there is no evidence of in-service noise exposure or a nexus between these conditions and service. The preponderance of the evidence is against the claims.

The Veteran's claim for higher initial rating for his bilateral hearing loss disability was denied as the evidence did not warrant a compensable rating prior to January 11, 2011, and in excess of 40 percent thereafter.

The Board found no evidence of hearing loss or tinnitus during service and concluded that the Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss, right knee chondromalacia patella, and left knee chondromalacia patella were denied as the evidence did not show that his conditions warranted a compensable rating or higher.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for further verification of service records and additional medical examination.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to a lack of audiogram results from VA treatment records.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, which is secondary to his service-connected tinnitus, has been remanded due to the need for additional development and an addendum opinion regarding whether the hearing loss is proximately due to or aggravated by his tinnitus.