Hearing loss decisions — 2014

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and providing the Veteran with a new VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of his bilateral hearing loss disability, bilateral leg disability, and back disability. The claims will be reconsidered following this development.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is found to be related to his active service, and the Board grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability was not present within one year of his discharge from service and there is no evidence linking it to service. The Board finds the VA examination report more probative than the Veteran's lay statements.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's ischemic heart disease is presumed related to herbicide exposure during his service in Thailand, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for left ear hearing disability other than hearing loss and bilateral pes planus were denied. The claim for service connection for psychiatric disability, to include PTSD, is pending.

The Board has determined that service connection is not warranted for any of the conditions listed, as there was no in-service injury or event related to these conditions and the Veteran does not have confirmed exposure to Agent Orange or other tactical herbicide agents within the meaning of 38 C.F.R. § 3.307.

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 major depression. The Veteran will be provided an opportunity to provide additional evidence, authorize release of private medical records if needed, and undergo VA examinations to address the etiology of his claimed conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for right ear hearing loss, finding that it is related to noise exposure in service. The claim of left ear hearing loss is remanded due to the need for a new VA examination.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss, at worst, resulted in Level II hearing in both ears and did not warrant a compensable rating. The claim for an increased disability rating for hearing loss was denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are due to noise exposure in service, specifically from a gas stove explosion. As such, the claims for service connection have been granted.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim to reopen his service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that new and material evidence was not received.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is related to his military service and granted service connection for this condition. The hearing loss claim was also granted as it can be reasonably inferred from the evidence that the Veteran experienced noise exposure during service, leading to current hearing impairment.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are found to be etiologically related to his active duty service, with the Board giving him the benefit of the doubt.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has been rated at 10 percent since February 1972. The most recent VA audiological examination in November 2013 showed Level V hearing in the right ear and Level II in the left ear, resulting in a 10 percent disability rating bilaterally.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a GI disability, sleep apnea, hearing loss, and erectile dysfunction. The evidence does not support these claims as they are not related to his military service or any service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation (SMC) based on the need for aid and attendance (A&A) or being housebound was denied because he failed to report for a scheduled VA examination.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeals regarding the rating for bilateral sensorineural hearing loss and TDIU, prior to the Board's decision.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his bilateral hearing loss disability was denied as the evidence did not meet the criteria for a disability rating in excess of 10 percent prior to February 12, 2013, and a disability rating in excess of 40 percent from that date.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus are found to be etiologically related to acoustic trauma sustained in active service, thus granting service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss is not related to service, as there was no threshold shift during service and the current condition did not manifest within one year of separation. The left ear hearing loss preexisted service and is not aggravated by service.,The Veteran's low back disorder and right knee disorder are not related to service, as symptoms were not chronic in service or continuous after service separation.