Hearing loss decisions — 2015

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including a new VA examination and obtaining outstanding medical records. The Veteran's claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss will be reconsidered based on the additional evidence.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is not related to his in-service noise exposure and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability as there was no evidence of a current disability, and any potential hearing loss did not manifest within one year after separation from service.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral cataracts, finding that the Veteran's current eye condition is at least as likely as not caused by his service-connected diabetes mellitus.,For the skin condition claim, additional development is needed to determine if there is a link between the Veteran's in-service exposure and his current skin rash.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have service connection for any of the claimed disabilities, as there is no evidence to support a finding of in-service incurrence or chronicity.

The Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss was not incurred in or aggravated by his military service, as there is no evidence of significant noise exposure and the audiometric results did not show a shift in hearing from enlistment to discharge. The Board finds that the weight of medical opinion evidence does not support a finding of service connection.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining additional VA and private treatment records, as well as any pertinent SSA disability benefits records. A supplemental opinion from the social worker who conducted the April 2015 VA Social and Industrial Survey will also be obtained.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right ear hearing loss and left ear hearing loss, finding that there is no evidence of a current disability or a link to service. The claim for tinnitus was granted as it is presumed due to in-service noise exposure.

The Board denied a higher initial rating for diabetes mellitus and remanded the issue of entitlement to a noncompensable rating for bilateral hearing loss prior to November 20, 2007.

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

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left ear hearing loss and acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, were not incurred or aggravated as a result of active service.

The Veteran meets the criteria for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to his service-connected PTSD, which is rated at 70 percent disabling. His other service-connected conditions do not meet or approximate the percentage requirements for TDIU.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is not related to service or tinnitus, and denied his claim.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a new examination of his service-connected bilateral hearing loss, as it has been more than six years since his last VA examination in January 2009.

The Board has remanded the case due to a scheduling error for an in-person hearing at the RO. The Veteran's claims of service connection for various conditions are pending.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are service-connected due to noise exposure in service. However, his migraine headaches pre-existed service and were not aggravated by service.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his military service, as there was no evidence of these conditions during or within one year after service. The VA examiner opined that the disabilities were more likely due to civilian noise exposure.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining relevant medical records and scheduling a VA examination to determine the current severity of his service-connected hearing loss and whether he developed hypertension within one year of separation from honorable active service.

The Board found that the Veteran's low back disability is not related to his service, and denied both his claim for service connection for a low back disability and his request for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current back disability is not related to his active service, and therefore denied his claim for service connection. The claim of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss must be remanded as additional development is needed.