Hearing loss decisions — 2015

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is causally related to his military service, including noise exposure. The claim for a neck disability was remanded due to lack of evidence and will be addressed in a future decision.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and peripheral neuropathy of the left upper extremity, but denied service connection for tissue damage secondary to removal of a mass from the neck.

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

The Veteran's PTSD is diagnosed and linked to his service stressors, thus service connection for PTSD is granted. The other issues are not addressed as they do not pertain to service connection.

The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss was denied as there is no evidence to support a rating in excess of 10 percent since February 16, 2010 and the preponderance of the evidence does not support a compensable evaluation prior to that date.

The Board finds that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is not related to his military service, specifically noise exposure. Therefore, the claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied.

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

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination and consideration of additional treatment records.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss is being remanded due to the need for a new VA audiological examination to assess whether he currently has a hearing loss disability and its likely etiology.

The Veteran does not have a current bilateral hearing loss disability that meets the criteria for service connection as defined by VA regulations.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current hearing loss disability for VA purposes and there is no evidence of tinnitus in service or continuity of symptoms since service. Therefore, service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus is denied.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is found to be due to noise exposure during his military service, and the claim for service connection is granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are causally related to noise exposure during active service, granting service connection for both conditions.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn prior to the Board making a decision.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete records and the need for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records from 2009 through the present.

The Veteran's death was caused by an accidental overdose of medication prescribed for his service-connected PTSD, which is considered a principal cause of death. The appeal for DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318 is now moot due to the grant of service connection for the cause of death.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his active service, and thus denied both claims.

The Board has remanded all issues for further development due to the Veteran's request for a videoconference hearing.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to obtain medical records, provide proper VCAA notice, and schedule the Veteran for VA examinations to determine the nature and etiology of his claimed conditions.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied as his hearing impairment did not meet the criteria for any higher evaluation under VA's rating schedule.