Hearing loss decisions — 2014

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete or unclear medical opinions regarding the Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus claims. The issues of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are being reviewed with additional evidence.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a chronic disability involving the left leg as a result or consequence of disease or injury incurred in or aggravated by his active military service. Therefore, the claim for service connection for residuals of a broken leg is denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss are related to his active military service, including noise exposure during service.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is related to acoustic trauma in service and the Board grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining clarification on the use of the Maryland CNC speech discrimination test in his April 2012 private audiological examination and scheduling a VA audiologic examination.

The Board finds that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and pes planus do not warrant a higher initial rating during the appeals period.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are related to his exposure to hazardous noise in service.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed for the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus and Meniere's disease. The issues related to a left ankle condition, a left knee condition and an acquired psychiatric disorder are inextricably intertwined with these underlying service connection claims.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have a hearing loss disability for which VA is authorized to grant service connection, and further established that his tinnitus did not have an onset in service or manifest to a compensable degree within one year of discharge.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a new audiological examination and consideration of his claim for TDIU.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been granted. The claim to reopen for a back disability and post-operative residuals of right nephrectomy has also been granted, but the claim for an increased rating for post-traumatic arthritis of the left knee from November 3, 2006 to August 10, 2009 remains pending.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred or aggravated by his active duty service, as there is no evidence of such conditions during service or for many years thereafter. The preponderance of the evidence does not support a finding that these conditions are related to service.

The Veteran's claims for higher initial ratings for hypertension and hearing loss, as well as his service connection claim for hepatitis C, are being remanded due to the need for updated VA examinations and additional medical records.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus was incurred in service, but his lung disability is not related to service or asbestos exposure. The bilateral hearing loss disability remains unresolved.

The Board has determined that a new VA examination is needed to determine if the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to service, as they were not found during his last VA examination. The case will be returned for further review after this additional development.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD and hearing loss of the left ear, which represents a complete grant of the benefits sought on appeal.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability and bilateral hearing loss were denied. The Board found no evidence of a current disability, with the exception of alcohol abuse for the psychiatric claim. For the hearing loss claim, there was no objective evidence showing it met VA compensation criteria.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and dental trauma was denied as he does not have the required disability for VA compensation purposes.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right ear hearing loss and service connection for left ear hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating or service connection.

The Board has determined that the July 2010 VA examination and opinion are inadequate for adjudication purposes, particularly regarding bilateral hearing loss. The Veteran's service connection claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder is also remanded due to the inadequacy of the June 2010 VA examination and opinion.