Hearing loss decisions — 2015

The Board found that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, tinnitus, and hearing loss, do not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. As such, the appeal for TDIU was denied.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's left ear hearing loss is currently assigned a noncompensable evaluation prior to April 28, 2015 and a 10 percent evaluation on and after that date. The appeal for higher evaluations has been denied.

The Veteran's PTSD was granted service connection and assigned a 70 percent rating effective September 8, 2009. The Veteran is also entitled to an increased rating for lumbosacral strain with degenerative disc disease from September 18, 2009.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss as he does not have a current disability for VA purposes.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate VA examination and a need for another opinion concerning the etiology of the Veteran's hearing loss. The claim will be returned to the AOJ for further development.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA and private medical records, as well as vocational rehabilitation records. The Veteran's unemployability claim will be reconsidered based on the updated evidence.

The Board finds that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability does not warrant a rating higher than 10 percent prior to October 31, 2014 and a rating of 30 percent since October 31, 2014.

The Board found that the Veteran's current right ear hearing loss is not related to his military service, as there was no significant threshold shift in the right ear during service and the first evidence of right ear hearing loss occurred many years after service. Therefore, the claim for service connection for right ear hearing loss was denied.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability is not related to his military service, including noise exposure.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining the VA audiological examination report and scheduling a new VA examination. The claim will be readjudicated after these actions.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are granted as service-connected, with the Board finding that these conditions are related to his military noise exposure.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there was no evidence showing it was incurred in or related to his military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's pre-existing left ear hearing loss was aggravated by service, thus granting his claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his in-service exposure to loud noises, and thus service connection is granted for both conditions.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there is no evidence to support a nexus between these conditions and his military service.

The Veteran's left ear hearing loss does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating. The Board finds that his sleep apnea is more likely related to his service-connected sinusitis and allergic rhinitis, rather than being directly related to service.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including obtaining National Guard records and scheduling a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of his bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current disability for which service connection can be granted, specifically a left ankle disorder and hearing loss. The evidence does not show any chronicity of these conditions since service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for an updated VA examination of his service-connected bilateral hearing loss, as it has continued to deteriorate and he reported difficulties hearing his grandchildren. The case will be returned to the RO for further action.