Hearing loss decisions — 2014

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss has been rated at 10 percent since January 28, 2015. The evidence does not support a higher rating prior to April 6, 2010 and on or after April 6, 2010.

The Veteran was found to be unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment due to his service-connected disabilities, resulting in a TDIU being granted.

The Veteran's left ear hearing loss and tinnitus are found to be related to service, while his otitis media is not considered incurred or aggravated by service.,Right ear hearing loss claim is remanded.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate examination and opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus conditions. The claims are being returned for further development.

The Veteran's left ear hearing loss disability is related to service and granted.,There is no evidence of a current disability for syncope, and the claim is denied.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is not related to his service, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to his request for a video conference hearing at the Montgomery, Alabama RO.

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss disability is found to be service-connected, with the evidence showing that it likely resulted from in-service noise exposure. The issues of left ear hearing loss and TDIU are not addressed as they were not part of the appeal.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development to obtain medical records and verify service dates. The Veteran's claims of bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are being reviewed, but a decision on whether they were incurred in or aggravated by service is pending.

The Board finds that the Veteran has current diagnoses of bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, which are related to service. Service connection is granted for these conditions.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for bilateral metatarsalgia of the feet and hearing loss were not addressed. The Board denied reopening his claims for right and left knee disabilities, as well as his claims for service connection for right and left shin splints.

The Board has determined that the development of the hearing loss claim is inadequate and requires additional examination to determine the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss. The case is being remanded for further action.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are etiologically related to his military service, granting service connection for both conditions.

The Veteran's chronic low back strain was found to be aggravated by his military service. The claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were reopened due to the submission of new evidence.

The Veteran's major depression with psychotic features, type II diabetes mellitus, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus are presumed to be related to his service in the Republic of Vietnam. The left knee disability is not shown to be related to service.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has been rated as zero percent (noncompensable) since April 2003. The most recent VA audiometric evaluations in February 2011 and March 2013 showed auditory acuity levels of level I for both ears, which correspond to a zero percent rating under the applicable VA Rating Schedule.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his active service, thus granting service connection for these conditions.

The Board found that the Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus are not attributable to his period of military service.

The Board finds that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not service-connected, as there is no evidence of a chronic disease in service or continuous symptoms after service separation. The Veteran experienced noise exposure during service but his current hearing loss does not meet VA criteria for a disability. Tinnitus was found to be related to service.

The Veteran does not have a right ear hearing loss disability for VA compensation purposes and therefore, service connection is denied.