Hearing loss decisions — 2016

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied, but his claim for tinnitus is granted.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus disabilities do not prevent him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation, as they are considered one disability affecting the ear. The evidence does not show he is precluded from all types of employment due to these conditions.

The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable disability rating for left ear hearing loss was denied. The Board also remanded the TDIU claim, but did not grant it in this decision.

The Board found that the Veteran's claimed conditions did not manifest during service or within one year thereafter, and any current conditions are not otherwise etiologically related to such service. Therefore, service connection was denied.

The appeal is being remanded due to the appellant's request for a Travel Board hearing. The case will be processed in accordance with established appellate practices.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent disabling prior to October 19, 2012 and in excess of 70 percent thereafter. The claim for TDIU prior to October 19, 2012 remains pending as part of his PTSD claim.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection and increased rating claims have been denied. The Board found no current bilateral hearing loss disability, and the low back disability was not shown to be related to service or due to any other compensable factor.

The Board denied claims for service connection for various conditions, including hearing loss, diabetes, skin disorder, urinary tract disorder, TBI residuals, headaches, and lumbar spine strain. The decision found that new evidence did not warrant reopening the claim for hearing loss, while other claims were denied based on lack of a nexus to service.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed as he and his representative have withdrawn their appeals for higher ratings for left ear hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Board found that the Veteran's hearing loss was not related to his service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's left ear hearing loss is found to be due to in-service noise exposure, and service connection for this condition is granted. The issue of tinnitus remains pending as a supplemental opinion is needed regarding its relationship to the service-connected hearing loss. The initial compensable rating claim for prostate cancer residuals will also need further development.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and consideration, including obtaining service treatment records and scheduling an examination to determine whether the Veteran experiences dizziness as a result of his service-connected disabilities. The issue of entitlement to TDIU is also inextricably intertwined with the other issues being remanded.

The Veteran's claim for service connection of a bilateral hearing loss disability is denied as the audiometric test results do not meet VA's threshold for considering hearing loss a disability for VA purposes.

The Veteran's appeal for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss has been withdrawn. The Board is dismissing this issue as the Veteran requested to withdraw his appeal.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and examinations. The issues of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, diabetes mellitus, a right shoulder disability, and hypertension (on de novo review) are also being remanded.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss is currently rated at 10 percent, and the Board finds that a higher evaluation is not warranted.

The Board finds that the cause of the Veteran's death was of service origin and thus, service connection is warranted for the cause of the Veteran's death.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder are being remanded due to incomplete records and the need for additional examinations.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied. The claims for higher initial ratings for right knee status post arthroscopy, GERD, and hemorrhoids are also denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there was no evidence to support a current disability or a link between his in-service noise exposure and his claimed conditions.