Hearing loss decisions — 2015

The Board has remanded the claims of bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus for additional development, including an interpretation of a pre-induction audiogram. The case will be returned to the Board after further adjudication.

The Board has ordered a remand to obtain the Veteran's audiological examination from his discharge evaluation, which is believed to contain information necessary for an opinion on whether his right ear hearing loss began during service or is related to any incident of service. The case will be returned to the Board after this development.

The Veteran's appeal for right knee disability was withdrawn. The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension is related to his in-service exposure to Agent Orange and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's lumbar spine disorder and rib disorder did not originate during active service, active duty, or active duty for training. The Veteran's left fourth finger disorder and head injury residuals are also denied as there is no evidence of their onset in service.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss was granted, and he is now rated at 40 percent from January 27, 2012. The claim for service connection for prostate cancer due to herbicide exposure was also granted as the disease is presumptively associated with such exposure under VA regulations.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The hearing loss claim was not granted, the wrist disability and wrist scar claims resulted in noncompensable ratings, and the ankle condition claims remained denied.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for increased ratings for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss and erectile dysfunction, finding that there is no evidence of penis deformity with loss of erectile power.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine prior to December 5, 2012 was granted. However, he is not entitled to a higher rating after that date. His bilateral hearing loss disability has been rated as compensable.

The Board has determined that the Veteran currently has bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, which are related to his service. Service connection is granted for these conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for new examinations and additional records. The issues of entitlement to a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss and entitlement to service connection for tinnitus are on appeal.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability is related to his military service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's multiple service-connected disabilities, including coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus, gastroparesis, hypertension, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and peripheral neuropathy in both legs and arms, render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. The Board finds that TDIU is warranted.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development and consideration of the submitted evidence.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for TBI, bilateral hearing loss, left knee disability, and chemical burn of the left hand residuals have all been denied. The Board found no evidence of a current disability for VA purposes in any of these conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss are related to his active service, granting service connection for both conditions.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining missing service records and VA examinations to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's claimed conditions.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to obtain the Veteran's service treatment records and SSA disability benefits records, clarify the August 2011 private audiogram report, and schedule VA examinations for his claimed conditions. The case will be remanded for these actions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability is not related to his military service, as evidenced by normal audiometric results at both induction and separation.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has been rated as noncompensable since the effective date of service connection. The left knee disability was also rated as noncompensable, with a higher rating granted in March 2003. The claim for TDIU is denied.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to service, while his knee, hip, low back, and cervical spine disorders are related to service. The Veteran's claims for these conditions were denied.