Hearing loss decisions — 2016

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and providing appropriate notice.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was evaluated and found to not meet the criteria for a compensable rating at any point during the period on appeal.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, warranting a total disability rating based on individual unemployability.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for higher disability ratings in several areas, including hearing loss, lumbosacral strain, psychiatric disability, hypertension, epicondylitis of the left elbow, and bilateral plantar fasciitis.

The Board found that the Veteran did not have hearing loss during service or within one year of separation, and thus denied his claim for service connection for hearing loss.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including additional VA examinations to determine the nature and etiology of his claimed conditions.

The Board has remanded the case for another addendum opinion from a VA examiner, as the previous opinions did not adequately address the Veteran's account of hearing loss during service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability does not warrant a compensable evaluation, as his audiometric test results do not meet the criteria for any higher rating under the applicable VA rating schedule.

The Veteran's appeal is denied as he does not have a right ear hearing loss disability for VA purposes. The claims of entitlement to service connection for right leg sciatica, left leg sciatica, and lumbar disc disease with post-operative residuals are also denied.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining medical records and information from Social Security Administration.

The Board has granted the Veteran's service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus, finding that these conditions are related to his in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining VA audiologic treatment records and considering the May 2015 VA examination. The claim will be readjudicated based on this additional evidence.

The Veteran's hearing loss was rated as noncompensable, and the Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder (excluding PTSD and schizophrenia).

The Veteran's appeal for a compensable rating for blepharitis was withdrawn at his Board hearing. The Veteran's service-connected hemorrhoids are currently rated as noncompensable.,The Veteran's service connection claims for anthrax shots and bilateral hearing loss were also withdrawn at his Board hearing.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss, left shoulder dislocation status post left arthroscopic capsulorrhaphy, and left shoulder surgical scars were initially granted with noncompensable ratings. The Board found that the Veteran does not meet the criteria for a higher initial rating in any of these conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus are related to his service, specifically exposure to loud noises on an aircraft carrier flight deck. The claims for these conditions have been granted.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss, finding no evidence of a chronic disability during or within one year after service. The decision also found that there was insufficient evidence to establish a link between current PTSD symptoms and active service.

The Veteran's hearing impairment has been rated as noncompensable, and the claim for an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss is denied.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining records from SSA and scheduling a VA examination. The Veteran's claims of service connection for right ear hearing loss disability, left ear hearing loss disability, and residuals of nasal surgery are currently in appellate status.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining additional Reserve service records and providing a VA opinion regarding the etiology of bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.