Hearing loss decisions — 2015

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to incomplete development of his claims for service connection for bilateral sensorineural hearing loss and a rating in excess of 10 percent for PTSD. The VA examiner needs to address whether the Veteran's pre-existing hearing loss was aggravated by active duty service, and the Veteran needs to be notified about a scheduled PTSD examination.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to a request from the Veteran for a videoconference hearing.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was not incurred during service and the evidence does not establish a continuity of symptoms after service. Therefore, her claim for service connection is denied.

The Board has ordered additional development for the Veteran's hearing loss and PTSD claims, including obtaining service personnel records and scheduling a VA examination. The appeal is remanded to allow for these actions.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete development and need for additional medical opinions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current right ear hearing loss does not meet the regulatory criteria to be considered a disability for VA compensation purposes. Therefore, service connection for right ear hearing loss is denied. For left ear hearing loss, as the Veteran was exposed to in-service acoustic trauma and there are no other factors precluding service connection, the claim is granted.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for right ear hearing loss is being remanded due to the need for additional development and clarification of the medical opinion provided.

The Board finds that there is an approximate balance of positive and negative evidence as to whether the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is related to his noise exposure in service. The criteria for service connection for bilateral hearing loss are met.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are causally related to his active military service, granting service connection for both conditions.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete records and need for additional medical opinions regarding the Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining a VA examination and opinion regarding the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability and his employability due to service-connected disabilities.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for hearing loss, PTSD, an acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD, coronary artery disease, kidney stones, and stomach disorder. The evidence does not support a finding that any of these conditions were incurred in or aggravated by military service.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus were denied as there is no evidence of a current disability, and the Board found that the symptoms did not manifest during service or within one year of separation.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain a VA Social and Industrial Survey to determine the combined effect of her service-connected disabilities on her ability to perform sedentary type of work.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are found to be related to his military service, with the Board granting service connection for these conditions.,For the right knee disability and burn scar of the right hand, further development is needed as their etiology may not have been properly documented in the service treatment records.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tuberculosis and bilateral hearing loss, as well as his claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent for hemorrhoids disability. The TDIU claim was not addressed due to its being part of an increased rating claim.

The Board has granted service connection for headaches as a residual of an in-service head injury (claimed as TBI). The remaining claims for service connection have been denied.

The Veteran's claim for payment or reimbursement of unauthorized medical expenses incurred at Florida Hospital Waterman on May 5, 2009 is granted as the care and services were rendered in a medical emergency of such nature that delay would have been hazardous to life or health.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral sensorineural hearing loss is not related to his active service, including in-service noise exposure. The evidence does not support a finding of service connection for this condition.