Hearing loss decisions — 2015

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are found to be related to his military service, with the evidence being in equipoise on this issue. Service connection is granted for both conditions.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional medical opinions and records, particularly regarding the Veteran's hearing loss and Meniere's disease.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral pes planus, right ear hearing loss, left ear hearing loss, asbestosis, hypertension, and an acquired psychiatric disorder. The evidence did not support a finding of current disabilities or a link to service.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's previously denied claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. The claim of service connection for tinnitus is granted, with reasonable doubt resolved in favor of the Veteran.

The Board found no evidence of a low back disability, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMJ), residuals of a skin condition of the left arm, or chronic fatigue syndrome that were incurred in service. The Veteran's conditions are not related to his military service.

The Board has determined that additional evidence is needed to fully and fairly consider the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, including obtaining his full service personnel records from his first period of active duty service and any outstanding private treatment records.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to ensure proper development and consideration of the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are service-connected, with the most likely cause being in-service noise exposure.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's currently-diagnosed bilateral hearing loss is related to acoustic trauma during military service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's sleep disorder with fatigue was initially manifest in service and has been recurrent since discharge from service. The Board can conclude that the requirements for service connection have been met, thus granting the claim.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has been rated at 30 percent since November 29, 2012. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating prior to this date.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his in-service noise exposure, and thus grants service connection for these conditions.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim of entitlement to a compensable disability rating for hearing loss due to the need for an audiological examination at his place of incarceration. The case is now pending further development and readjudication.

The Board found no credible evidence of the Veteran's exposure to herbicides in Korea, and thus denied service connection for COPD, hearing loss, tinnitus, and vertigo.

The Board has remanded the case to the AOJ for development due to conflicting medical evidence and need for another VA examination.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to his failure to appear for a scheduled videoconference hearing. His claims for service connection and initial disability rating remain pending.

The Veteran's appeal for a rating in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus has been withdrawn. The effective date claim and the CUE claim are being remanded for further development.

The Veteran's claims were dismissed due to his death, and the Board has no jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits of these claims.

The Board has determined that the Veteran did not file a claim for service connection prior to October 7, 2009. Therefore, the effective dates of the grants of service connection are denied.

The Veteran's claims for higher ratings for bilateral hearing loss, PTSD, and Hepatitis C were denied. The claim for TDIU was not addressed in the decision.