Hearing loss decisions — 2015

The Veteran's left shoulder disorder is found to be secondary to his service-connected right shoulder disability.,Service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are granted based on in-service acoustic trauma exposure.

The Board has decided the appeal is not ready for final decision and has ordered a remand to provide the Veteran with a hearing.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability, hepatitis C, and a lung condition due to lack of evidence establishing a nexus between these conditions and his military service.

The Veteran does not have hearing loss that is service-connected, as his separation examination did not show any hearing impairment and the December 2013 VA examiner found no relationship between his current hearing loss and military service.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD with an effective date of December 29, 2010. The Veteran's claim for bilateral hearing loss and cataracts is denied as there was no evidence of a current disability meeting VA criteria at any time during the appeal period.

The Veteran's hearing loss disability has been evaluated under the applicable diagnostic code that specifically contemplated the level of occupational impairment caused by his service-connected bilateral hearing loss. The appeal is denied as there are no symptoms warranting a compensable evaluation.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unemployable due to his PTSD symptoms, as they are considered part of the 50% rating for that disability. The Board finds that he is capable of performing the physical and mental acts required by employment.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain another VA opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. The appeal will be returned to the AOJ for further action.

The Board has found that the Veteran's right ear and left ear hearing loss are related to service, thus granting service connection for both conditions.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently rated as 10 percent disabling from August 28, 2012. The Board denied a higher initial rating for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus is granted, with the Board finding that there is at least an approximate balance of positive and negative evidence regarding whether these disabilities are related to service. The case is remanded for a new VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of the bilateral hearing loss disability.

The Board has granted service connection for right ear hearing loss and Meniere's disease. The Veteran is now seeking a rating for his bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's current psychiatric disability, diagnosed as anxiety, is reasonably shown to be related to service and to his service-connected pleurisy. Service connection for psychiatric disability has been granted.

The Veteran's claim for service connection of skin disability has been reopened. The Board granted a 70 percent rating for PTSD, effective July 25, 2007. Other issues remain pending and are remanded.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was rated as noncompensable prior to January 20, 2010 and subsequently rated at 30 percent from that date onwards. The appeal is denied.

The Board finds that the Veteran does not have a current bilateral hearing loss disability or tinnitus for VA purposes and thus cannot establish service connection. The Veteran's complaints of tinnitus are not linked to his military service.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining medical opinions regarding the Veteran's hearing loss, peripheral neuropathy of the upper extremities, and right leg disorder. The issues include service connection for these conditions.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has been noncompensably disabling throughout the entire rating period on appeal, and thus denied his claim for an initial compensable rating.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are as likely as not the result of noise exposure during his military service, and the Board has granted these claims.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal in a November 2013 statement, which the Board received prior to making a decision.