Hearing loss decisions — 2014

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and a heart disorder, to include as secondary to hypertension, was denied. The Board found that the Veteran does not have current hearing loss disability under VA standards and did not meet the criteria for a diagnosis of hearing loss. For his heart disorder, the evidence showed coronary atherosclerosis and congestive heart failure but no service connection could be established due to lack of continuity of symptomatology.

The Veteran's hearing loss is rated as noncompensable, and the claim for a higher rating for PTSD prior to January 16, 2014 and in excess of 70 percent thereafter was denied.

The Board has reopened the claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, but these claims are being remanded to obtain additional evidence and provide a new VA examination.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been presented to reopen the Veteran's service connection claim for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. The elements for entitlement to service connection have also been met, with the onset of the disabilities attributed to noise exposure during active service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, a prostate condition as due to herbicide exposure, and an acquired psychiatric disorder (PTSD). The Board found no evidence of a current disability related to these conditions. Service connection was not granted because there is no competent medical evidence linking any of these conditions to the Veteran's military service.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus did not have their clinical onset in service or are otherwise related to active duty. The Veteran was denied service connection for these conditions.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for right ear hearing loss with Meniere's disease, tinnitus, and left ear hearing loss. The issues were not reopened due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability is due to noise exposure during his military service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that the appellant does not have a hearing loss disability in either ear for VA purposes, and therefore service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied.

The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable evaluation for bilateral hearing loss disability was denied as his audiometric test results did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating. The claims for service connection for malaria and TDIU were also addressed, but are addressed in the REMAND portion of this decision.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are found to be related to his active duty service, warranting the grant of service connection for both conditions.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability did not have its onset during service, was not shown to be related to noise exposure in service, and is unrelated to any injury or event including noise exposure. As a result, the claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability was denied.

The appeal has been withdrawn by the appellant, and thus is dismissed.

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

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of current disabilities or a link to service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude employment consistent with his education and occupational experience, thus the claim for a TDIU is denied.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient development and needs further examination regarding the Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to schedule a videoconference hearing before the Board at the RO. The issues include rating for bilateral hearing loss, verruca on both hands, and residuals of a fracture of the right little finger; service connection for erectile dysfunction, PTSD, left knee condition, hypertension, bilateral eye condition, and migraine headaches; and reopening claims for left knee condition, hypertension, and bilateral eye condition.

The Board found no evidence of right ear hearing loss during service and concluded that the current condition is not related to military service. High cholesterol was considered a laboratory finding and not a disease or disability under VA law.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, an acquired psychiatric disability (including PTSD, generalized anxiety disorder, bipolar disorder, and major depressive disorder), diabetes mellitus type II, tachycardia, atrioventricular nodal re-entry, and degenerative arthrosis of the lumbar spine. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were related to service or any other compensable exposure.