Hearing loss decisions — 2015

The Board has granted a 10 percent evaluation for the Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss on an extraschedular basis, finding that his disability picture exhibits marked interference with employment.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to deficiencies in a previous VA examination and the need for clarification or a new examination.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss disability has been rated as noncompensable throughout the appeal period, and the Board finds that his degree of hearing impairment does not warrant a compensable rating.

The Veteran's representative withdrew the claims of entitlement to service connection for PTSD and left ear hearing loss, respectively.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has ordered additional development to obtain the Veteran's VA employee treatment records from 1983-1984. The case is now remanded for further action.

The Board found no evidence of a current disability related to the claimed conditions and denied service connection for traumatic brain injury, right ear hearing loss, and tinnitus.

The Board has determined that the evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were incurred during active service. Therefore, service connection for these conditions is granted.

The Veteran's initial claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied as his hearing loss did not meet the criteria for any higher rating prior to September 13, 2012.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is rated at zero percent, and his vascular headaches are currently rated at ten percent. The Board finds that neither condition warrants a higher rating.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a grant of service connection for hypertension, peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities, bilateral hearing loss disability, tinnitus, or hyperlipidemia.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim of service connection for a left ear hearing loss disability and remanded the case to obtain additional medical records. The Veteran is entitled to an increased rating for his right ear hearing loss disability.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including new VA examinations and a review of his claims file to determine the current severity of his right ankle disability, as well as whether he has a current hearing loss disability and tinnitus associated with military service.

The Veteran's current bilateral sensorineural hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his period of active service, including in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for a supplemental VA medical opinion to determine if his left ear hearing loss is related to service, including in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not include the anatomical loss or loss of use of both hands, blindness in both eyes with 5/200 visual acuity, deep partial thickness burns that have resulted in contractures with limitation of motion of two or more extremities or of at least one extremity and the trunk, full thickness or subdermal burns that have resulted in contractures with limitation of motion of one or more extremities or the trunk, or residuals of an inhalation injury. Therefore, his claim for a special home adaptation grant is denied.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been withdrawn before the Board could make a decision.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are found to be related to his in-service exposure to noise, which is established. Service connection for these conditions is granted.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, which represents a complete grant of the benefits sought with respect to that disability. The Veteran's right ear hearing loss does not meet VA criteria for a current disability and thus his claim is denied.

The Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss is being remanded due to the need for an addendum VA medical opinion considering a recent article submitted by the Veteran.