Hearing loss decisions — 2015

The Veteran's TDIU claim is being remanded due to the need for additional development regarding her service connection claims and a VA medical examination.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current bilateral hearing loss disability or tinnitus due to service, and therefore, denied both claims for service connection.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, residuals of a right knee injury, residuals of a left knee injury, neck disability, and left shoulder disability. The claim for service connection for a right shoulder disability was not addressed as it is considered to be part of the migraine headaches claim. The Veteran's migraine headaches are rated at 50%.

The Board denied the Veteran's request for an earlier effective date for a 10% rating for bilateral hearing loss, finding that entitlement to this rating arose on April 30, 2011. The effective date remains March 30, 2011.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional development and examination, including obtaining his complete service personnel file and conducting a VA examination regarding his pulmonary disability. The hearing loss claim will also be remanded as well.

The Veteran's claim for service connection of bilateral hearing loss and a bilateral foot disability, claimed as arthritis of the feet, was denied. The Board found that there is no competent evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's allergic rhinitis, bilateral hearing loss disability, and tinnitus are not related to service. The preponderance of evidence does not support a finding that these conditions were incurred or aggravated by military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and hypertension. The claim of CUE in the August 2003 rating decision regarding a right knee condition was also denied.

The Veteran's TDIU claim has been granted due to his service-connected bilateral hearing loss, which renders him unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to his failure to report for VA audiological examinations and because a copy of the April 2013 supplemental statement of the case was returned as undeliverable. The Veteran will be scheduled for another VA examination, and he will be notified at his current address.

The Board found that the Veteran's current hearing loss disability is not related to his active service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied. The Board found no evidence of a current disability or sufficient observation to establish chronicity at the time.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including a VA examination to determine the etiology of the Veteran's asthma and for consideration of her claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from participating in any substantially gainful employment.

The Board denied service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus, as well as found no new and material evidence to reopen the claim for residuals of an eye injury. The Veteran's right upper and lower extremity neuropathy was rated at 10 percent each.,The rating reduction for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma from 100 percent to non-compensable effective October 1, 2009 was found proper.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability and bilateral tinnitus are both granted. The Board finds that the Veteran has credible reports of ringing in his ears since service, establishing chronicity of the disorder which was later diagnosed as tinnitus. Service connection is also granted for tinnitus.

The Veteran's initial evaluations for bilateral hearing loss prior to December 2, 2009 were denied as his hearing did not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation. For the period since December 2, 2009, he was granted an initial evaluation of 10 percent for each ear.

The Board has determined that a new VA examination is needed to assess the Veteran's hearing loss disability and determine its relationship to his service, as well as reconcile the discrepancies in clinical findings.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal of the issue regarding a rating in excess of 10 percent for bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has been rated as noncompensable due to the auditory acuity levels in both ears meeting Roman Numeral I, which corresponds to a 0 percent rating under Diagnostic Code 6100.