Hearing loss decisions — 2014

The Veteran's diagnosed bilateral hearing loss is attributed to his in-service noise exposure during active duty service.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus do not prevent him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's diagnosed bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are attributed to his active duty service due to noise exposure. The Board has granted the claims for service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is etiologically related to noise exposure during active service, while his tinnitus was not incurred in or aggravated by active service.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss is being remanded due to the need for clarification regarding the etiology of his current hearing loss disability. The Board requires an addendum opinion from a VA examiner to provide further explanation and clarify whether the Veteran's hearing loss is related to noise exposure during or since his military service.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient opinion regarding the relationship between the Veteran's current hearing loss disability and service. The Veteran will be provided a new examination or addendum if possible.

The Board has requested additional VA treatment records and is remanding the case for further development, including consideration of whether a VA medical examination should be conducted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have current diagnoses of hypertension or right ear hearing loss, and therefore service connection for these conditions is denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not service-connected as they did not manifest during his active duty or within one year of separation, and there is no competent evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is being remanded due to the need for a new medical opinion considering converted audiometric results at separation and the presence of some hearing loss in one ear.

The Board determined that the Veteran's pre-existing bilateral hearing loss at 6000 Hertz did not have its onset during active military service and was not aggravated by service. As a result, the claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, residuals of a right ankle injury, blood clots of the right leg, migraines, hemoptysis (blood in sputum), and chondroma of the left ring finger. The decision was based on the lack of evidence linking these conditions to service or service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for higher ratings for degenerative disc and joint disease of the lumbosacral spine and bilateral hearing loss on an extra-schedular basis were denied by the Board.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection of right ear hearing loss has been dismissed due to the death of the appellant.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have current bilateral hearing loss or tinnitus disabilities, and thus cannot establish service connection for these conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for left ear hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's conditions are at least as likely as not incurred in service. The back disability and left hip disability have been remanded for further development.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to insufficient completion of previous requests. The Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is being reviewed by a VA audiologist or another suitably qualified examiner.

The Board has restored the Veteran's 30 percent rating for bilateral hearing loss and found that a reduction to 10 percent was improper. The current effective date is not specified as it is based on restoration of the previous rating.

The Veteran's hearing loss, as evaluated by VA audiologists, did not meet the criteria for a higher rating. His test results from credible examinations consistently showed his bilateral hearing loss at levels that do not warrant an increased rating.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus are at least as likely as not related to service, including exposure to noise during active duty. As such, service connection is granted for both conditions.