Hearing loss decisions — 2014

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a hearing loss disability in his left ear, and there is no evidence linking his right ear hearing loss to service. The Veteran's knee disorders are also not related to his service. As such, the claims for bilateral hearing loss, left knee disorder, and right great toe condition are denied.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is productive of no worse than a Level I hearing loss in each ear, and the criteria for a compensable initial disability rating have not been met.

The Board found no evidence of tinnitus or hearing loss in service and denied the Veteran's claims for these conditions as they are not related to his military service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to obtain or retain substantially gainful employment, and the Board finds that he meets the criteria for a TDIU.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are found to be related to his military service, specifically the exposure to loud jet engine noise during active duty.

The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and granted it, finding that the Veteran's pre-existing hearing defect worsened during his active duty service. The claims for unidentified particles in the blood, asbestosis, and lower extremity peripheral neuropathy are denied as there is no evidence of these conditions at any time pertinent to this appeal.

The Veteran's left ear hearing loss has been rated as noncompensable since the initial grant of service connection. The Board finds that this rating is appropriate based on the audiometric results provided.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed for the Veteran's claims of service connection for PTSD and hearing loss, as new evidence was received after his death. The case is being remanded to allow for further examination and review.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability is at least as likely as not caused by or the result of noise exposure during military service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss does not meet or approximate the criteria for a compensable rating under the applicable VA rating schedule. The most severe level of hearing loss, as reflected in the August 2013 VA examination, corresponds to Level I in the right ear and Level VIII in the left ear, resulting in a noncompensable evaluation.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a VA examination by an otolaryngologist to determine the nature and etiology of his bilateral hearing loss disability. The tinnitus claim is inextricably intertwined with the hearing loss claim. A SOC must also be issued for the issue of entitlement to a disability rating in excess of 20 percent for degenerative disc disease of the thoracolumbar spine.

The Board has remanded the case to schedule a videoconference hearing. The Veteran's claims for service connection and rating of his disabilities remain pending.

The Veteran's initial rating for his bilateral hearing loss remains at 10 percent, as the evidence does not support a higher evaluation.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining the Veteran's current mailing address and scheduling him for a VA examination to determine if his bilateral hearing loss is related to service.

The Board found that the Veteran's right ear hearing loss did not meet criteria for disability and was not related to service exposure, thus denying his claim.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for an earlier effective date for tinnitus service connection and for a higher rating for bilateral hearing loss. The decision found that the Veteran did not file a timely notice of disagreement with the assigned effective date, and thus his claim is barred by finality.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have service connection for diabetes or nerve degeneration affecting the upper extremities, as these conditions are not shown to be related to his military service. The left shoulder arthritis claim is also denied.

The Veteran's appeals for bilateral cataracts and a compensable rating for malaria have been withdrawn. The Board has found that tinnitus was incurred in service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability does not meet or approximate the criteria for a compensable rating under Diagnostic Code 6100, and therefore denied his claim.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current hearing loss in both ears is not related to his service, and therefore denied his claims for service connection.