Hearing loss decisions — 2014

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn by the appellant, resulting in the dismissal of all issues.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred or aggravated by his active military service, as there is no evidence of hearing loss or tinnitus during service. The VA audiological examination did not find any current hearing disability.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss disability was rated at 10 percent prior to August 24, 2011 and in excess of 10 percent beginning on that date. The Board found the evidence did not warrant a higher rating.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left ear hearing loss and an increased rating for right ear hearing loss. The decision found that new evidence did not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim, and that current left ear hearing loss was not related to military noise exposure in service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss was reopened and granted. His PTSD is rated at 50 percent disabling, and he has been awarded TDIU.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is causally related to noise exposure during active service. However, there is no evidence of hearing loss in service or for many years thereafter, and it is not otherwise related to such service. Therefore, service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied.

The February 2008 rating decision, which granted service connection for vertigo effective July 25, 2003, has not been shown to contain CUE.,The October 2003 and February 2008 rating decisions that assigned an earlier effective date for hearing loss evaluations are remanded.

The Board has remanded the case due to a need for an addendum opinion from the VA audiologist regarding the cause of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability, including whether it is likely, unlikely, or at least as likely as not caused by in-service noise exposure.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate examination and issues related to noise-induced hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current left ear hearing loss is not related to his active service, and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have a disability for VA purposes in his right ear and only has a mild sensorineural hearing loss in his left ear, which did not meet the criteria for a disability. Therefore, service connection was denied.

The Board has remanded the case for a supplemental medical opinion to determine if the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is related to service, including as secondary to his service-connected traumatic brain injury.

The case is being remanded for further development, including obtaining clarification from a private audiologist regarding the March 2010 audiogram and providing the Veteran with VA examinations to determine the etiology of his disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to his death before a decision could be made on the issues of service connection for various conditions and a rating for a left knee disability.

The Board has determined that service connection is granted for PTSD and denied for bilateral hearing loss. Service connection for PTSD is established based on the Veteran's reported combat-related experiences in Vietnam, while service connection for bilateral hearing loss is not supported by evidence showing continuous hearing impairment since service separation.

The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate VA opinion regarding the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss. The claim will be reviewed again with a new examination.

The Veteran's hearing loss is currently rated as noncompensable, and the Board finds no basis to grant a higher rating.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current bilateral knee disability, bilateral hearing loss disability, or right shoulder disability for VA purposes and therefore cannot establish service connection.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to the need for a VA ear disease examination and medical nexus opinion.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the etiology of the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss. The claim will be reconsidered after a new examination.