Hearing loss decisions — 2015

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and denied the Veteran's claims for PTSD, anxiety disorder, depression, and memory disorder. The effective date for SMC benefits remains May 26, 2015.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for a video conference hearing and further development. The issues are whether new and material evidence has been received to reopen his claim of bilateral hearing loss, and entitlement to service connection for gastroparesis secondary to diabetes mellitus.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining a medical opinion regarding the etiology of his hearing loss.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was found to be noncompensable prior to November 9, 2012. The reduction from a 10 percent rating to zero percent effective March 7, 2014 is granted.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim and found that his current bilateral hearing loss is related to service, granting service connection.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to unclear audiometric test results and the need for clarification from A+ Audiology and Hearing Aid Services regarding whether the Maryland CNC speech recognition scores were used.

The Veteran's appeal for left ear hearing loss was dismissed due to withdrawal. The Board found that the Veteran's right knee disability had its inception during service and granted service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is related to his in-service noise exposure and granted service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to ensure a complete record for the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability, including obtaining any outstanding medical records and scheduling an audiological examination. The case will be returned to the AOJ for further action.

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

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is found to be related to his military service, and the claim for service connection is granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus are related to his in-service noise exposure, and thus service connection is granted. The skin disability claim remains pending as a new VA opinion is needed regarding its relationship to Agent Orange exposure.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's death was not caused by or a result of his service-connected conditions, including PTSD. The cause of death listed in the VA donor note was cardiopulmonary arrest, which is less likely than not related to any service-connected condition.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his in-service noise exposure, as evidenced by VA examinations conducted in November 2011 and November 2014. The evidence does not support a finding of service connection for these conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability is related to his service, and therefore grants service connection for this condition.

The Board finds that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability is not related to service, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his service, including exposure to noise during his deployment in Afghanistan. As a result, the claims for service connection have been granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is the result of in-service noise exposure and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that the Veteran had tinnitus present in service and continued after service, granting service connection for tinnitus. Bilateral hearing loss was not granted as it is presumed to have been pre-existing.

The Board found that the Veteran's current hearing loss disability, which was first demonstrated many years after service, did not have its onset or result from his military service, including alleged noise exposure.