Hearing loss decisions — 2016

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for further development due to inadequate or incomplete opinions in his VA examination and because additional records are needed.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there was no competent evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Veteran's hearing loss is manifested by Level I hearing acuity, bilaterally. The criteria for an initial compensable evaluation for bilateral hearing loss are not met.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was not shown to have had its clinical onset in service and is not otherwise related to active duty. A sensorineural hearing loss was not exhibited within the first post-service year.

The Board has remanded the case for extraschedular consideration due to the impact of hearing loss on the Veteran's daily life, including his ability to work and hear in social situations. The claim will be referred to the Director of Compensation and Pension for further review.

The Veteran's PTSD was found to cause occupational and social impairment, but not total impairment. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss resulted in a noncompensable rating.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including respiratory disorder, vision disorder, back disability, sarcoidosis manifestations, heart disorder, diabetes mellitus, autoimmune disease, sleep apnea, black outs, and bilateral hearing loss. The evidence did not meet the criteria for direct service connection.

The Veteran's initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied as the clinical findings did not meet the criteria for an extra-schedular evaluation.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining private treatment records and VA treatment records. The Veteran's claim will be reconsidered after these actions.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for headaches has been granted. The Board found that the Veteran's headaches are related to his military service and thus warrant service connection.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for a new VA examination to determine the current severity of his bilateral hearing loss and whether he has vertigo, which may be related to his service-connected bilateral hearing loss. The issue will then be readjudicated.

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

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to a scheduling issue for a videoconference hearing. The issues of reopening service connection claims and entitlement to service connection are still pending.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of bilateral hearing loss, finding that no communication prior to July 6, 2011 could be interpreted as a claim. The TDIU issue is inextricably intertwined with the initial rating and requires further examination.

The Board has decided to remand the case for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and updating any relevant records. The Veteran's claim will be reconsidered based on all evidence.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn, and the case is dismissed.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus did not have their onset during service or within one year of his discharge from service, and they are not shown to be related to disease or injury incurred in service. As such, the claims for service connection for these conditions are denied.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to new and material evidence. However, the claim remains denied as there is no credible evidence linking the current hearing loss to service or within one year of separation.

The Board has been notified of the appellant's withdrawal of the appeal regarding the compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss, and thus the appeal is dismissed.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his active service, including noise exposure during flight operations. As such, the claims for service connection have been granted.