Hearing loss decisions — 2015

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss does not meet the criteria for a compensable disability rating under VA regulations.

The Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his service, with the Board finding that there is at least equipoise evidence in favor of a connection.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for a schedular TDIU under 38 C.F.R. � 4.16(a). However, given evidence suggesting unemployability, the Board has remanded the claim to determine if an extraschedular TDIU is warranted.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss has not resulted in any impairment warranting a higher initial disability rating since February 5, 2009.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and right foot disabilities are not related to his military service. The evidence does not establish a nexus between these conditions and his time in active duty.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated medical records and scheduling VA examinations to assess his tinnitus, hearing loss, and osteoarthritis of the left hip.

The Veteran's service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been granted. The Board found that the Veteran had a 28 year post-service history of working in construction, which was considered when determining whether his current disabilities were related to service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for right ear hearing loss disability and ischemic heart disease were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of in-service incurrence or continuity of symptomatology, and concluded that current right ear hearing loss was not related to service noise exposure. For ischemic heart disease, there is no presumption applicable due to Vietnam-era service. The Veteran's PTSD claim resulted in a 70% rating.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a skin disability was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a link between his current skin conditions and his military service, including exposure to herbicides.

The Board has determined that the issues of service connection for hypertension, skin cancer, multi-myeloma cancer, hearing loss, and tinnitus must be remanded due to incomplete development. The Veteran's claims are inextricably intertwined with his claim for hypertension.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain additional medical opinions regarding the Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus, as well as to ensure all relevant evidence is considered in the decision.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to service, and therefore denied both claims for service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are directly related to his military service, with exposure to noise during his time as an aircraft mechanic. The evidence supports this conclusion.

The September 2005 decision granting service connection for hearing loss was found to be clearly and unmistakably erroneous, resulting in an effective date of November 10, 2004.,Service connection for tinnitus was granted prior to April 27, 2012.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability was manifested by Level I hearing acuity in both ears, with speech discrimination ability of 94 percent or higher. As such, the assigned noncompensable rating under Diagnostic Code 6100 adequately reflects his disability level and symptomatology.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are found to be related to service, with the benefit of doubt being resolved in favor of the Veteran.

The Board has found that the Veteran's left ear hearing loss had its onset during service and granted service connection for this condition. The issue of right ear hearing loss is addressed in the REMAND portion of the decision.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, peripheral vascular disease, and arthritis of the hands, feet, knees, elbows, and hips. The conditions were not shown to be related to military service.

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss is found to be due to noise exposure during service, and the Board grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's appeal includes claims for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, as well as a TDIU. The case is being remanded to the AOJ due to incomplete development of these issues.