Hearing loss decisions — 2014

The Veteran's hearing loss has not been found to be severe enough to warrant a compensable rating at any point during the appeal period.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected prostatitis and benign prostatic hypertrophy were as likely as not contributing factors to his death from renal failure leading to aspiration pneumonia and cardiopulmonary arrest, thus granting service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim of service connection for Meniere's disease with hearing loss and tinnitus due to new evidence submitted since the last final denial. The case is now remanded for further development, including a VA examination.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, do not preclude him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board found no evidence of hearing loss or tinnitus in service, and concluded that any current bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus are not related to service. For the lung disability claim, the Veteran's current diagnosis was noted but the Board determined there is insufficient evidence linking it to service exposure.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability was not shown to be related to service, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently rated at 30 percent, but the Board finds no evidence to support an evaluation in excess of this rating.

The Board finds that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are due to noise exposure during his military service, resulting in a grant of service connection.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional medical opinions and evidence regarding the etiology of the Veteran's hearing disabilities.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, hepatitis C, diabetes mellitus, and liver transplant. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were related to service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are service-connected as they were caused by exposure to acoustic trauma during active service.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed in order to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's lay statements regarding in-service noise exposure and his current symptoms are credible. The claim of bilateral hearing loss is referred to the AOJ due to its separate nature.

The Veteran's service connection claims for a sleep disorder, constipation, chest pain, and respiratory disorder have been granted. The claim for an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss is addressed in the REMAND portion of the decision.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to assess his current level of hearing impairment and the etiology of his tinnitus. The examiner will need to consider the reliability of previous audiometric testing and provide an opinion on whether service connection can be established.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is service-connected and the claim for hypertension due to PTSD is granted.,Service connection for erectile dysfunction due to PTSD is granted. The Veteran's sterility (claimed as low sperm count) is also service-connected, with herbicide exposure being a factor.,A 10 percent evaluation was granted prior to June 20, 2013, and in excess of 10 percent thereafter for GERD.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to ensure proper development of the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.

Service connection was granted for left ear hearing loss, pes planus (flat feet), and asthma. Right ear hearing loss is not service connected.,Right ear hearing loss has been rated as non-compensable since the initial grant of service connection.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional development, including obtaining recent VA treatment records and audiometric testing.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability was granted service connection as it is considered to be directly related to his military service.