Hearing loss decisions — 2015

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current left ankle arthritis is related to his period of active service and grants service connection for this condition. The claim for bilateral hearing loss remains denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development and consideration of his claims, including obtaining VA treatment records from a Richmond VA facility.

The Board found no evidence to support a link between the Veteran's military service and his current hearing loss or tinnitus, thus denying both claims.

The Veteran's ischemic heart disease is presumed to be related to herbicide exposure during his service at Nakhon Phanom Royal Thai Air Force Base. His bilateral hearing loss was also found to have begun during active service.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a back disorder, an increased rating for PTSD, and entitlement to TDIU. The appeal is dismissed.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating during any part of the appeal period.

The Board previously denied the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, but remanded them due to insufficient evidence. The case is now being returned to the AOJ for further development.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional medical records and examinations. The case will be returned to the Board for further review.

The Board has expanded the issue on appeal to include a central auditory processing disorder and is requesting an addendum opinion or new examination to determine if the Veteran has this condition and whether it is related to his military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his active service, while Crohn's disease is presumed to have started in service.,Service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and Crohn's disease is granted.

The case is being remanded for an adequate VA examination where the Maryland CNC speech discrimination test is administered. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss will be evaluated, and its impact on his daily activities and ability to work will be determined.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including a mood disorder and hearing loss, have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including right eye enucleation and facial scars, prevented him from securing and maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are service-connected as they are related to his active duty service, specifically exposure to acoustic trauma.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's character of discharge from his second period of service does not constitute a bar to VA benefits. The Veteran is granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, as these conditions are etiologically related to in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's current hearing loss and tinnitus are found to have begun during his combat service in Vietnam, which is considered direct service connection.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability has been rated at 40 percent since June 2006. The VA examinations have shown the Veteran to be noncompliant with testing, and his speech recognition scores were unreliable. As a result, no higher rating can be granted.

The Veteran is unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment as a result of his service-connected disabilities, and the Board finds that he meets the criteria for TDIU.

The Veteran's PTSD is currently rated at 50% and granted, but bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and hepatitis are not service connected.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for updated VA treatment records, specifically from Tuscaloosa VAMC and Jackson VAMC. The case will be re-adjudicated after these records are obtained.