Hearing loss decisions — 2014

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and onychomycosis have been found to not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation. The residuals of his left great toenail bed removal have met the criteria for a rating of 10 percent.

The Board denied the Veteran's appeal because his timely substantive appeal was not filed within 60 days of the March 2007 statement of the case or within one year of the August 2006 notification of the determination being appealed.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a need for another VA examination and additional medical opinions regarding the Veteran's hearing loss.

The Board has remanded the case for a VA examination to determine if the Veteran has current bilateral hearing loss and whether it is related to his military service. The Veteran's claim will be reconsidered after this additional development.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hyperlipidemia, cellulitis, a right ankle disorder, influenza, tonsillitis, myositis, bilateral eye disorders (including astigmatism and presbyopia), and bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss disability, residuals of right lower leg surgery, laceration of the left hand, pseudofolliculitis barbae (PFB), and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) were denied as there is no evidence of current diagnoses or persistent symptoms of these conditions.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus are found to be due to noise exposure during his active duty service, and the Board grants service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a VA examination to determine if he has current diagnoses of hearing loss and/or tinnitus, and whether these conditions are related to his military service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to his request for a videoconference Board hearing at the RO. The case will be returned to the Board after scheduling the requested hearing.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and providing an addendum opinion from a VA examiner.

The Veteran's hearing loss disability warrants a noncompensable rating prior to November 24, 2009, and a 10 percent rating beginning from that date.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability and for an effective date earlier than April 26, 1999 for service connection for coronary artery disease (CAD).

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the Veteran's claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss. However, after a thorough review of the evidence, including VA examinations and private medical opinions, the Board finds that there is no competent and credible evidence showing that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is related to his military service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss was denied as there is no current evidence of a disability for VA purposes. The Board found that the Veteran did not have hearing loss at separation from service and that his current hearing loss is less likely than not related to military noise exposure.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for effective dates prior to March 23, 2009 for service connection and TDIU. The January 2010 rating decision denying entitlement to TDIU was not found to contain clear and unmistakable error. The Veteran's claim for SMC based on need for aid and attendance and housebound rate were also denied.

The Board has determined that the reduction from a 10 percent rating to zero percent for service-connected bilateral hearing loss was proper. The claim is being remanded due to the need to verify the current severity of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for PTSD since July 15, 2009 is denied as his PTSD does not cause total social and occupational impairment.

The Board found that the Veteran's service-connected conditions did not cause or contribute to his death, and thus denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to issues raised in a Joint Motion for Remand (JMR). The claims will be returned to the AOJ for further development, including obtaining additional medical opinions from the March 2010 VA examiner or another examiner if necessary.

The Veteran seeks service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability. The March 2009 VA examination found no current hearing loss for VA purposes, but noted the possibility of a pre-discharge normal hearing test being affected by post-service noise exposure. New evidence submitted in April 2014 indicates current bilateral hearing loss. A new VA examination is needed to determine if service connection can be granted.