Hearing loss decisions — 2016

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus disabilities, but the hypertension claim remains pending.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current hearing loss disability for VA purposes and therefore, service connection is denied.

The Veteran's claim for a disability rating in excess of 10 percent for service-connected hearing loss of the left ear is being remanded due to incomplete development. The AOJ will be requested to obtain all pertinent VA treatment records from June 2010 to the present.

The Board has remanded the case due to new evidence being added since the last supplemental statement of the case, and the Veteran waived consideration of this evidence.

The Board denied service connection for flat feet, asthma, stomach disability, left ear hearing loss, right kidney disorder, and an acquired psychiatric disorder. The Veteran's conditions were not shown to be incurred or aggravated by military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is related to his active service, and he is granted service connection for this condition. The issues of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and higher initial ratings for bilateral plantar fasciitis are remanded for additional development.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was rated at 60 percent prior to May 5, 2015. As of May 5, 2015, the rating increased to 80 percent.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss is currently rated as noncompensable prior to July 19, 2012 and 10 percent since then. The Board finds that the evidence does not support a higher rating for this condition. For his hypertension, the appeal was denied due to lack of a nexus between the condition and service or service-connected kidney stones.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current tinnitus is related to service, and thus grants service connection for this condition. The claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss remains pending as there are conflicting opinions regarding its etiology.

The Veteran's tinnitus was found to be related to his active service, and he is granted service connection for this condition. The Board also finds that the Veteran has a current right knee disorder that is less likely than not caused by or related to an injury in service.

The Veteran's appeal for higher initial disability ratings for bilateral hearing loss has been withdrawn prior to the Board's decision.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal of the denial of service connection for bilateral progressive myopia and an acquired psychiatric disorder on the record during the March 2016 hearing before the Board.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right ear hearing loss disability is service-connected, resolving all doubt in his favor. The left ear hearing loss issue remains pending and requires additional development.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current disability of tinnitus and his hearing loss is not related to service. Therefore, he cannot be granted service connection for either condition.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus did not have their clinical onset in service, are not otherwise related to active duty, and were not exhibited within the first post-service year. Therefore, the criteria for establishing service connection have not been met.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development due to the submission of additional evidence after the issuance of a post-remand rating decision in September 2013. The claim will be readjudicated based on all available evidence, including the December 2015 VA examination.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are due to acoustic trauma incurred in service.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss, specifically addressing the threshold shifts noted during service and their relation to current hearing loss.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and a respiratory disability other than pulmonary tuberculosis, to include chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pulmonary emphysema, or severe asthma are being remanded due to the need for additional development of his medical records.

The Board finds that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability is related to his noise exposure during service, and grants service connection for this condition.