Hearing loss decisions — 2016

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has been rated as noncompensable, with no more than Level I hearing in the right ear and no more than Level III hearing in the left ear. The Veteran's right hip disability is currently rated as noncompensable due to limitation of extension not meeting criteria for a compensable rating.,The Veteran's right hip disability has been rated as noncompensable, with no evidence of limitation of extension to 5 degrees or less.

The Veteran's left ear hearing loss disability has been rated as zero percent disabling since January 25, 2006. The VA examinations did not show an exceptional pattern of hearing impairment and the current evaluation is adequate to describe his disability level.

The March 1993 rating decision denying service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus is found to have committed clear and unmistakable error. The Veteran was entitled to a grant of service connection for these conditions, which would have been granted from at least the 10 year period prior to his death in July 2010.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was rated at 10 percent effective June 28, 2015. Prior to this date, the disability did not meet criteria for a compensable rating.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining audiometric pure tone data from VA treatment records and arranging a new VA examination to assess the severity of his bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a VA examination. The issues of entitlement to an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for bilateral hearing loss and entitlement to TDIU are also being remanded.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including a right shoulder disorder, back disorder, bilateral knee disorder, bilateral hearing loss, allergies, heart disorder, acne, and an acquired psychiatric disorder (to include PTSD), have been denied as there is no evidence of in-service injury or disease that would support these claims.

The Board has granted service connection for left ear hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are caused by or the result of in-service acoustic trauma. The issue of entitlement to a compensable evaluation for right ear hearing loss is being remanded.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including VA examinations to assess the current severity of his service-connected gout and bilateral hearing loss.

The Board finds that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus are not related to his service, including as due to in-service noise exposure. The VA examiner concluded that these conditions are less likely than not related to service.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including a VA examination.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently rated at 60 percent, which is the maximum schedular rating available. The Board has determined that an increased rating for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss is not warranted. Additionally, the Veteran was denied entitlement to a TDIU as he did not meet the threshold minimum percentage standards and there are no circumstances in his case apart from non-service-connected conditions and advancing age which would justify a TDIU.

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss has been rated as noncompensable, and the Board finds that this rating is appropriate based on the evidence of record.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for a VA audiology examination to determine the current severity of his hearing loss disability.

The Veteran's appeal for a compensable evaluation for bilateral hearing loss disability was denied. The right knee and PTSD claims are remanded due to incomplete VA electronic file at the time of the October 2014 examination.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus is being remanded to obtain a VA audiological evaluation, as well as any relevant treatment records. The Veteran will be provided an opportunity to respond to the SSOC.

The Board denied service connection for the Veteran's claimed disabilities, finding that there was no direct or secondary service connection based on evidence of record.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD, rated at 70 percent disabling, has rendered him unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's service-connected hearing loss has been evaluated as noncompensable, with auditory acuity levels of Level I in both ears. The claim for an initial compensable rating is denied.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and hypertension were evaluated, but neither condition met the criteria for a compensable rating under VA's schedular guidelines.