Hearing loss decisions — 2015

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to verify his National Guard service and obtain updated VA treatment records.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the claim of service connection for right ear hearing loss. After considering all available evidence, including a private medical opinion linking current hearing loss to in-service acoustic trauma, the Board finds that service connection is established.

The Veteran's cause of death was congestive heart failure due to or as a consequence of COPD. The Board is remanding the case for additional development, including obtaining home hospice care records and providing an opinion on whether service-connected disabilities contributed substantially or materially to his death.

The Veteran's appeal involves disagreement with the initial rating assigned following the award of service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The Board has characterized this matter in light of the distinction noted in Fenderson v. West, 12 Vet. App. 119 (1999).

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities (interstitial lung disease, bilateral hearing loss, left knee disability, and tinnitus) make it impossible for him to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current tinnitus is related to active military service, and thus grants service connection for tinnitus. The hearing loss claim will be remanded as requested.

The Board has remanded the case due to new evidence submitted by the Veteran and requests for additional development. The effective date of service connection for coronary artery disease is also being addressed.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for anaplastic astrocytoma was denied due to lack of a nexus between the condition and his military service. His claims for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss and PTSD were also denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus disabilities are not related to service, as there is no evidence of in-service noise exposure or onset within one year post-service. The claim for service connection is denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current disability of left ear hearing loss for VA service connection purposes, and thus cannot establish entitlement to service connection.

The Board found no evidence linking the Veteran's current right ear hearing loss to his military service, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unemployable due to his coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus, and other conditions. The Board finds that a TDIU is warranted.

The Veteran does not have hearing loss in the right ear for VA compensation purposes and his claim of service connection for right ear hearing loss is denied.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for service connection for a right knee disability, left knee disability, skin cancer due to sun exposure, and erectile dysfunction (ED), all secondary to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has determined that the evidence is in equipoise as to whether the Veteran's tinnitus had its onset during active service, and thus grants service connection for tinnitus. The case is remanded for additional development regarding bilateral hearing loss and an acquired psychiatric disability.

The Veteran's appeal includes multiple issues related to service connection for various conditions, as well as a claim for an increased disability rating and TDIU. The case is being remanded due to the need for a hearing before a Veterans Law Judge.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are causally related to his active military service, including exposure to noise during service. As such, the appeal for service connection is granted.

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to his death, and no jurisdiction remains for the Board to consider the merits of the claims.

The Board denied the requests to reopen claims for service connection for various conditions due to a lack of new and material evidence. The motion for revision or reversal on the basis of clear and unmistakable error (CUE) was denied.

The Board has granted service connection for left ear hearing loss. The right ear hearing loss claim is being remanded to allow for readjudication in light of the grant of service connection for left ear hearing loss.