Hearing loss decisions — 2015

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his military service, with the most significant exposure occurring during his time in Vietnam. Service connection is granted for these conditions.

The appeal is being remanded due to the need for a videoconference hearing. The Veteran's claims for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss are still pending.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral sensorineural hearing loss is currently rated as noncompensable, and the Board finds that no higher rating is warranted based on the current evidence of record.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining missing service treatment records and arranging for new VA examinations to address the claims of hearing loss, tinnitus, and migraine headaches.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were granted effective August 21, 2012. The Board found no earlier pending formal or informal claim existed prior to this date.

The Veteran's tinnitus was incurred in service, and the Board finds that service connection for tinnitus is granted. The issue of bilateral hearing loss is remanded due to inadequate medical opinions regarding its etiology.

The Board has remanded the case for a VA examination to determine the current severity of the Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss and for referral to the Director of Compensation Service or Undersecretary for Benefits for extraschedular consideration.

The Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability did not have its onset during active service, was not caused by active service, and did not manifest within one year of separation from active service. As such, the claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied.

The Veteran's tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss are found to be related to his period of active service.,The Veteran has hypertension that began in April 2005, which is within the presumptive period for hypertension due to military service.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is not related to service and may not be presumed to have been incurred or aggravated in service. As a result, his claim for service connection was denied.

For the entire increased rating period, audiometric and speech recognition testing has revealed at worst Level II hearing acuity in both ears. The Veteran is not entitled to a compensable disability rating for bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's degenerative joint disease of the left shoulder and cervical spine have been rated based on their current manifestations, with no additional ratings granted.,Service connection has not been established for fatigue and insomnia or bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has ordered a new VA examination to determine if the Veteran's right ear hearing loss increased during service and, if so, whether it was due to natural progression.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to address the etiology of her bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining employment records from OPM and updated VA treatment records. The hearing loss claim will also be evaluated with a new VA audiology examination.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including bilateral hearing loss, headaches, sleep apnea, carpal tunnel syndromes, hemiplegia, polyneuropathy, and cerebrovascular disease. The decision is based on a lack of current disability as defined by VA standards.

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

The Veteran's initial claim for a compensable rating for service-connected bilateral hearing loss was denied. The Board found that the Veteran's pure tone thresholds and speech discrimination percentages corresponded to auditory acuity levels of I in both ears, resulting in a noncompensable rating.

The Veteran's hearing impairment has been rated as Level I in both ears, resulting in a noncompensable rating for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board finds that the evidence is in equipoise, and therefore grants service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability as it is etiologically related to acoustic trauma sustained in active service.