Hearing loss decisions — 2015

The Board has denied service connection for Parkinson's disease and Bilateral Hearing Loss Disability.,A rating decision is pending addressing the Veteran's claim of a higher disability rating for CAD.

The Board has granted service connection for a right hand disability, skin rash on the chin, and PTSD. Service connection was denied for Lyme disease and left ear hearing loss.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is at least as likely as not incurred within a year of his separation from service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for scheduling a DRO hearing and, if necessary, another Board hearing. The claims will be readjudicated after these hearings.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining service treatment records and post-service medical records. The effective date of the grant of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder must also be reconsidered.

The appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining VA records and providing a thorough examination to determine the nature and etiology of any respiratory or hearing loss conditions.

The Board denied service connection for dizziness, headaches and/or memory loss, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, coronary artery disease (CAD), and hearing loss. The Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is etiologically related to service and granted his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's combined disability rating prior to March 18, 2014 was 70 percent. As of March 18, 2014, his combined disability rating is 80 percent with a single disability rated at 60 percent. The Board finds that the Veteran meets the schedular criteria for consideration for TDIU and grants entitlement to TDIU.

The Board has remanded the case back to the AOJ for additional development, including a VA audiology examination and issuance of a statement of the case regarding the issue of entitlement to a compensable rating for epistaxis.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to the Director of Compensation Service for consideration of an extraschedular TDIU rating due to service-connected disabilities. The case will be returned to the Board if a decision on this issue is not made.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for additional development, including referral to the Director of Compensation and Pension for extraschedular consideration of his hearing loss claim. The case will be returned to the Board after further adjudication.

The Board finds that the Veteran does not have a right leg condition due to his active duty service. The preponderance of evidence reflects that the Veteran's current right leg condition is less likely than not related to his military service.

The Board has remanded the claims for higher ratings for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus to the VA Director of Compensation and Pension Service for consideration of extraschedular ratings.

The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss disability was denied as the evidence did not show that his disability warranted a higher rating than those assigned.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current hearing loss disability for VA purposes, and thus cannot establish service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is service-connected as it is presumed to be due to noise exposure during his military service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, skin disorder, erectile dysfunction, and various other conditions have been denied. The Board found no current disability for the claimed conditions.

The Board has determined that the VA examinations are inadequate and remanded for further development, including a new examination to assess the current severity of the Veteran's hearing loss disability and an appropriate VA examination to determine whether any low back disorder found is related to his military service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus were denied as there was no evidence of exposure to herbicides or other conditions that would warrant presumptive service connection. The disabilities are not presumed due to military service.