Hearing loss decisions — 2015

The Veteran's tinnitus was found to have arisen in service and continued since then, meeting the criteria for service connection.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, shrapnel wound scars, tinnitus, and bilateral hearing loss disability, prevent him from securing or maintaining substantially gainful employment. The Board has granted a TDIU on both schedular and extraschedular bases.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and increased the ratings for arthritis of both knees to 10 percent each.

The Veteran's service-connected Arnold-Chiari I Malformation with cervical syringohydromyelia status post suboccipital craniotomy is currently manifested by no attributable symptoms, other than those symptoms for which he is receiving a separate evaluation.

The Board has determined that it does not have jurisdiction over the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for PTSD and TDIU due to pending appeals before the Court. The claim for an increased disability rating for bilateral hearing loss is dismissed as there are no new or material issues of service connection.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development of the record, including an audiologist's opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and whether it is related to service noise exposure.

The Board has determined that the evidence is in equipoise regarding whether the Veteran's current right ear hearing loss can be attributed to his conceded in-service noise exposure, and therefore grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are being remanded due to inadequate opinions from the VA examiner. Additional medical comment is needed to determine if these conditions are related to his military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is not related to his military service and denied service connection for this condition. The case of bilateral hearing loss remains pending, as does the issue regarding an eye disability.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have current right ear hearing loss to an extent recognized as a disability for VA purposes, and thus service connection cannot be granted. For left ear hearing loss, although the Veteran currently has a hearing loss disability for VA purposes, there is no competent evidence establishing a medical nexus between his in-service noise exposure and his current condition.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been received to reopen the claim of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The Veteran's claim was previously denied in a final July 2008 rating decision, as there was no evidence of current hearing loss disability sufficient for VA compensation purposes under 38 C.F.R. § 3.385.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a VA audiologic examination to evaluate the current severity of his service-connected left ear hearing loss and the nature and etiology of any current right ear hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Board has remanded the case due to outstanding hearing requests and will schedule a videoconference hearing for the Veteran.

The Veteran has current bilateral hearing loss that is as likely as not a result of noise exposure in active military service. The Board finds the claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss to be granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current hearing loss disability for VA purposes and therefore denied his claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss. However, the Board granted service connection for tinnitus as it was incurred in service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and providing examinations to assess his hearing loss and cold injury residuals.

The Veteran's claims are being remanded for further development to verify his service dates and obtain all relevant medical records, including those from the VA Medical Center in St. Louis.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to inconsistencies in the evidence and need for clarification on the relationship between the Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus with service.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently assigned a noncompensable evaluation, as his audiometric results do not meet the criteria for an increased rating under VA regulations.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection have been dismissed as he has withdrawn his claims for bilateral hearing loss and nervous disorder.