Hearing loss decisions — 2015

The Board finds that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his in-service noise exposure, granting service connection for these conditions.,Service connection is granted for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus as they are found to be directly related to the Veteran's military service.

The Board finds that the Veteran does not have a current hearing loss disability or tinnitus that is related to his military service. The evidence shows normal hearing upon entrance and separation from service, and there is no medical opinion linking any current hearing loss or tinnitus to service.

The Veteran's hypertension and hearing loss were not shown to be related to his military service. The Board found that the preponderance of evidence is against these claims.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability was rated as noncompensable from November 8, 2010 through November 27, 2014 and at 10% since November 28, 2014. The Board found the evidence did not meet criteria for an increased rating.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for the issue of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss prior to a decision being made by the Board.

The Veteran is unable to secure and maintain substantially gainful employment due solely to the effects of his service-connected disabilities, specifically bilateral hearing loss, PTSD, and tinea versicolor. As a result, he has been granted a TDIU.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is being remanded for a VA examination to assess his ability to secure and maintain employment due to his service-connected disabilities, including ischemic heart disease status post bypass graft, tinnitus, and hearing loss.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain additional medical records and to provide the Veteran with a VA examination to determine if his hearing loss and tinnitus are related to service.

The Veteran's tinnitus was found to have manifested within one year of military service and has continued intermittently since then, meeting the criteria for presumptive service connection. Service connection is granted for tinnitus.

The Board denied reopening the claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and denied entitlement to service connection for tinnitus. The Veteran's request to reopen his claim was not supported by new and material evidence.

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

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and allergy/breathing disabilities were not incurred in service, and are not otherwise related to service.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been received to reopen the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, and thus these claims are denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including scheduling a hearing before the Board.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete records and a need for updated examination of the Veteran's left ear hearing loss disability.

The Veteran's hearing loss was not incurred in or aggravated by service, and the Board denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's service-connected IBS has been granted with a 10% evaluation, effective from April 28, 2009. The Veteran does not have bilateral hearing loss or migraine headaches that are service connected.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating under VA's hearing impairment evaluation tables.

The Veteran's appeal was denied as the maximum schedular rating for tinnitus has been assigned, and his PTSD did not meet criteria for a higher rating.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining VA medical records and scheduling a VA examination to evaluate the Veteran's hearing loss. The issues of entitlement to a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss and an initial rating for PTSD in excess of 30 percent prior to July 6, 2012, and in excess of 50 percent thereafter are also remanded.