Hearing loss decisions — 2015

The Board has determined that additional evidence is needed and the case is being remanded for further development, including obtaining service records from the U.S. Army Reserves and scheduling a VA examination to assess the Veteran's skin disorder.

The Veteran's initial claim for a compensable evaluation for his bilateral hearing loss has been denied as the disability is currently rated as noncompensable.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including adjudication of the referred claim of entitlement to an increased evaluation for service-connected hearing loss. The TDIU claim will be readjudicated with consideration of both a schedular basis and extraschedular basis.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional treatment records and a VA examination. The claim will be reconsidered after these steps are completed.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for increased ratings and TDIU prior to August 12, 2011. The hearing on appeal was held in April 2014.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the evidence is in equipoise as to whether these conditions are related to military noise exposure.

The Board has ordered a new VA examination to determine the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss, which is currently considered service-connected. The examination must address the Institute of Medicine's report on noise-induced hearing loss and whether there are studies indicating delayed onset.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is granted as incurred in service, and the issue of TDIU is remanded for readjudication.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his military service, as there was no evidence of a nexus between his in-service noise exposure and his post-service symptoms. The claims for service connection were therefore denied.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn before the Board could issue a decision.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus did not manifest within one year of service, and there is no evidence to support a direct relationship between these conditions and his military service. The Veteran's assertions regarding in-service noise exposure are not supported by contemporaneous medical records.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hearing loss was denied as he did not meet the criteria for a disability recognized under VA regulations.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for fatigue was also denied, with the examiner indicating that his reported history of fatigue is more consistent with a sleep disorder than chronic fatigue syndrome.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, hearing loss, and type II diabetes mellitus have all been granted. The initial rating for PTSD has also been increased to 70 percent.

The Veteran's depression is due to his service-connected left finger disability, and the Board has granted service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to her military service, as there is no evidence of in-service noise exposure or chronic symptoms post-service. The Veteran's statements regarding in-service noise exposure are credible but do not establish a nexus between her current conditions and service.

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent for bilateral hearing loss has been denied as the current level of disability does not warrant such an increase. The issues regarding service connection for right knee and right ankle disorders have also been denied, with the Board finding that these conditions are not secondary to his service-connected left ankle disorder.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for all issues related to service connection, including those involving diabetes mellitus type II, neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, a skin rash, bilateral hearing loss, depression disorder, and anxiety.

The Veteran seeks service connection for left ear hearing loss. The VA examiner found that the current hearing loss is less likely related to military noise exposure due to normal hearing at separation from service, but did not address why this could not have been caused by in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and development of records.

The Veteran's ischemic heart disease is presumed to be related to herbicide exposure in service, and the claim for service connection is granted. The hearing loss rating remains unchanged.