Hearing loss decisions — 2015

The Veteran's claims for service connection for right and left ear hearing loss are being remanded due to inadequate medical opinions provided in the December 2012 VA examination. Additional development is needed, including obtaining updated treatment records and new medical opinions.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been received to reopen the claim for service connection for bilateral high frequency hearing loss, thus denying the reopening of this claim.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional VA treatment records and for a new VA examination due to the rapid deterioration in his hearing loss.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, degenerative joint disease of the left shoulder, respiratory disorder (sinusitis and allergic rhinitis), bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is etiologically related to acoustic trauma sustained in active service and grants his claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his military service, meeting the criteria for service connection.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have a current hearing loss disability for VA purposes and denied his claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss. For tinnitus, while the Veteran has been diagnosed with tinnitus, the VA examiner opined it is less likely than not caused by or a result of military noise exposure.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus did not manifest during service or are otherwise related to service, thus denying his claims for service connection.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss. The VA examiner is requested to provide an additional addendum opinion addressing the nature and etiology of the Veteran's hearing loss, including any threshold shifts during service and current hearing loss.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus disabilities did not originate during his military service, as there was no evidence of a significant shift in puretone thresholds during his period of service. The VA examiner concluded that these conditions are not related to his in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is currently rated at 20% since August 2, 2014. The Board finds that the evidence supports this rating.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of pulmonary hypertension, and thus service connection for this condition is denied. The remaining issues are also denied as there is no evidence of chronic conditions during or within one year after service.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and bilateral tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are at least as likely as not related to his in-service noise exposure.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his in-service noise exposure, and thus grants service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's tinnitus was related to hazardous noise exposure during his second period of active duty service. His hearing loss and back condition were not related to service, while the claim for residuals of dengue fever is denied due to lack of evidence of residuals at any time during the appeals period. The skin cancer claim remains pending.

The Board has reopened the claims for hypertension, lumbar spine disability, right ankle disability, cysts, and hearing loss disability due to new evidence submitted since the last final denial.,No new evidence was found to reopen the claims for left shoulder disability and anxiety/nervousness.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination and review of his medical records.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for additional medical records and a new VA examination.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a shoulder condition, bilateral knee condition, bilateral hearing loss, and pes planus. The decision also addressed his claim for an initial rating higher than 30 percent for PTSD but did not reach this issue due to other pending issues.

The Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is found to have begun during his active service and was caused by noise exposure, thus service connection for this condition is granted.