Hearing loss decisions — 2015

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right ear hearing loss is at least as likely as not caused by or aggravated by his exposure to military noise during service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have precluded him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation since January 1, 2011.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further consideration due to outstanding medical records and the need for a new examination.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are at least as likely as not related to his in-service noise exposure, resolving reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Board denied service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus in January 2007. The Veteran's claims were not reopened, as new and material evidence was not presented to support these claims. Service connection for a right shoulder disability was also denied.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a respiratory condition has been reopened, but the Board denied his claim as new and material evidence was not submitted. His claim for an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss prior to February 8, 2012; in excess of 40 percent from February 8, 2012 to March 28, 2012; in excess of 20 percent from March 28, 2012 to February 20, 2015; and in excess of 40 percent on and after February 20, 2015 was denied.

The Veteran's appeal of the denial of service connection for a right ear hearing loss disability was withdrawn, and thus the issue is dismissed.

The Board found that the Veteran's current left ear hearing loss disability is not service-connected due to lack of evidence showing an increase in severity during service and no credible evidence linking post-service symptoms to service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied as there is no current disability meeting VA criteria.

The Board denied the Veteran's request to reopen his claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that the new evidence submitted did not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining an addendum opinion from a VA audiologist.

The Veteran's tinnitus is etiologically related to service and the Board finds that it meets the criteria for service connection.

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

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected bilateral sensorineural high frequency hearing loss is being remanded due to the need for a more contemporaneous VA examination and updated treatment records.

The Veteran's current hearing loss, tinnitus and neck disability are reasonably shown to be related to service. The Board grants the claims for these conditions.

The Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is found to be related to noise exposure during his military service, and the Board grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's PTSD with anxiety and bilateral hearing loss are rated at 50 percent prior to April 17, 2014, and 60 percent thereafter. The Veteran is entitled to a TDIU effective January 14, 2014.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to ensure all relevant evidence, including the actual August 2010 audiometric testing results, has been associated with his claims file. The claim for a compensable disability rating for service-connected bilateral hearing loss will be readjudicated.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his active duty service, with exostoses and otosclerosis being the underlying conditions for both issues.

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