Hearing loss decisions — 2015

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is found to have had its onset in service and the Board grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's peripheral neuropathy, hearing loss, and tinnitus are not related to service or herbicide exposure. The evidence does not support a finding of service connection for these conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed conditions, including bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, do not meet the criteria for service connection as they are not shown to be related to his active duty service.

The Veteran's tinnitus is found to be related to in-service noise exposure, and service connection for this condition is granted. The claims for bilateral hearing loss and hypertension are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and records.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability did not have onset during military service and is not shown to be related to his military service.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently evaluated at a 10 percent rating since June 21, 2013. The Board finds that the evidence does not support an increased evaluation for his hearing loss prior to this date.

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings for tinnitus was withdrawn. The Board denied the claims for increased ratings for residuals of a fracture of the maxilla and bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's tinnitus is associated with his service-connected bilateral hearing loss. Prior to July 9, 2014, the PTSD did not meet the criteria for a higher rating; since then, it does.

The Veteran's tinnitus is related to in-service noise exposure and he currently has a current diagnosis of tinnitus. The Veteran's bilateral sensorineural hearing loss disability is manifested by Level I to Level II hearing in each ear, which does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for right ear hearing loss and tinnitus were denied. The Board found no evidence of in-service noise exposure or a current disability related to service.,For the initial rating claim, the Veteran was granted service connection for left ear hearing loss but assigned a noncompensable rating.

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to the death of the appellant during the pendency of the appeal.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current hearing loss or tinnitus disability related to his military service.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain an adequate VA opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's tinnitus, as well as whether it is aggravated by his service-connected bilateral hearing loss. The claim will be adjudicated following this additional development.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for a new VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected bilateral hearing loss disability.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is rated at its maximum allowable under VA regulations, and thus no higher rating can be assigned. The claims for service connection for hearing loss, DM, peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities, and nonservice-connected pension benefits have been denied as there is insufficient evidence to support these claims.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss pre-existed his active military service and did not undergo a permanent increase in severity during service.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability was initially rated at 10 percent prior to October 27, 2010 and subsequently increased to 10 percent from that date. The current rating of 10 percent is considered appropriate based on the exceptional pattern of hearing loss in both ears.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was rated at 50 percent, and the Board has determined that a higher rating of 70 percent is warranted based on his current level of disability.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability was denied. The decision on the GERD with hiatal hernia and bilateral foot disability claims is pending.