Hearing loss decisions — 2014

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not meet the criteria for service connection for any of his claimed conditions, including hearing loss in the left ear and tinnitus. The claims are denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right ear hearing loss disability is related to his active service and grants this claim. The left ear hearing loss disability was not present during the pendency of the claim, thus denying this claim.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is as likely as not related to his military service, while bilateral hearing loss was not incurred or aggravated by service.

The Board has found that the Veteran's tinnitus had its onset during active duty service as a result of in-service acoustic trauma, and thus granted service connection for tinnitus. The issue of bilateral hearing loss is addressed in the REMAND portion.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently rated as noncompensable, and his PTSD prior to January 23, 2013, is rated at 50 percent. Beginning January 23, 2013, the rating for PTSD increased to 70 percent.,The Veteran does not meet criteria for a TDIU based on service-connected disabilities as of the effective date of this decision.,There are no new and material evidence submitted since the last final denial.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability did not meet or approximate the criteria for a compensable evaluation under any applicable rating code.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain an updated VA audiological examination and address the Veteran's claim for service connection for left ear hearing loss. The current VA examination may no longer accurately reflect the severity of his hearing impairment.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is being remanded due to the need for additional medical records and examinations. The case will be reconsidered after these are obtained.

The Veteran's tinnitus was found to be incurred in service and granted service connection.

The Board has determined that additional development is required prior to the adjudication of the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The case is remanded to the RO.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and bilateral tinnitus, which constitutes a full grant of the benefits sought on appeal.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable evaluation for bilateral hearing loss disability was denied. The Board also found that the issue of TDIU is part of his increased rating claim and remanded it for further development.

The Veteran's initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss is denied as his hearing impairment does not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to additional evidence being added to the claims file.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is manifested by pure tone threshold averages and speech recognition scores that correspond to no more than a level 'I' hearing on the right and a level 'III' hearing on the left. The criteria for an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss have not been met.

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

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is not manifested by worse than a Level II hearing loss in the right ear and Level III hearing loss in the left ear, resulting in a noncompensable rating.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is service-connected, but his hearing loss is not. The Veteran reported experiencing tinnitus since service and provided credible statements about acoustic trauma during basic training. However, there was no evidence of a causal connection between his current hearing loss and in-service noise exposure.

The VA determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is not related to his military service, including noise exposure. The Board found the VA audiologists' opinions more persuasive than a private opinion based on a 1968 hearing test with a mild notch.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his military service, as there is no evidence of in-service injury or disease. The claim for service connection for these conditions is therefore denied.