Hearing loss decisions — 2015

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeal for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, and the Board does not have jurisdiction to review this claim.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD, rated at 70 percent disabling, prevented him from securing and maintaining substantially gainful employment during the period from February 12, 2007 to February 23, 2009.

The Veteran's claim for service connection on all of his listed conditions was denied due to failure to report for scheduled VA examinations and insufficient evidence to establish service connection.

The Board found that the Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus were not related to his military service, including any in-service acoustic trauma or disease.

The Board is remanding the case for additional development to determine the etiology of the Veteran's current hearing loss and tinnitus.,The Board is also remanding the case for additional development to determine the etiology of the Veteran's gastrointestinal disability and neurologic disability of the upper and lower extremities, including consideration of presumed exposure to herbicides in service.,,VA will issue a decision on the remaining issues after completing the necessary development.

The Veteran has withdrawn his claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, as well as for an initial compensable rating for the scar, status post laceration of the chin.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional service treatment records and VA treatment records, as well as to schedule the Veteran for a VA audiology and psychiatric examination. The claims will be re-adjudicated after these actions.

The Veteran's claim for service-connected compensation benefits for a spouse was denied because the effective date cannot be earlier than April 25, 2011, as he did not submit evidence of dependency within one year of notification of his December 2009 rating decision assigning a 40 percent disability rating for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has reopened the claims for service connection for hearing loss, right elbow disorder, and left elbow disorder due to new evidence received since the July 2006 rating decision. However, as these issues are still pending, no final determination can be made regarding their merits.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA audiological evaluation results and a new examination to assess the current severity of his bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine the current severity of the Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss, including by obtaining updated audiometric testing and clarifying whether speech recognition scores were conducted using the Maryland CNC test. The case will be returned to the RO for further action.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to incomplete evidence. The VA will need to obtain additional records from the Veteran's former employer, Chimney Rock Public Power District, and arrange for a new examination if necessary.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hearing loss is being remanded due to the need for further examination and opinion regarding the etiology of his hearing loss.

The Veteran's hearing loss disability was rated at 20 percent prior to March 6, 2007; 40 percent from March 6, 2007 through February 24, 2011; and 50 percent since February 25, 2011. The Board found that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for a higher rating during any of these periods.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current disability of left ear hearing loss for VA purposes, and thus service connection is denied.

The VA determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is not related to his military service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss and low back strain with mild spondylosis at the level of the 1st and 2nd lumbar vertebrae were both denied as his conditions did not warrant a higher evaluation.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current right ear hearing loss is not related to her in-service noise exposure and therefore denied her claim for service connection.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have hearing loss that meets VA compensation criteria, and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including coronary artery disease, diabetes mellitus type II, hypertension, peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and erectile dysfunction, render him unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment. The Board grants a TDIU based on these conditions.