Hearing loss decisions — 2016

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied. The Board found no evidence of ischemic heart disease due to herbicide exposure, but granted service connection for hypertensive heart disease. Other claims were either not addressed or denied.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss prior to January 2, 2015, and in excess of 10 percent on or after January 2, 2015, was denied. The VA examinations conducted did not support the need for a higher rating.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability, tinnitus, and right knee disability. The low back disability claim was denied as not having had its onset in service or being otherwise related to service. Service connection is also denied for left knee disability and bilateral hip disability.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to scheduling issues for a Travel Board hearing. The maximum rating for PTSD has not been assigned, and the initial noncompensable rating for bilateral hearing loss remains in place.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss did not manifest during service or within one year post-service, and it is not related to his service. As a result, the claim for service connection was denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, sleep apnea, and an initial compensable disability rating for pleural plaques prior to March 10, 2014. The Board also found that a disability rating in excess of 10 percent thereafter was not warranted for pleural plaques. Additionally, the Veteran's claim for TDIU due to service-connected disabilities was denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his service, with symptoms beginning during service and continuing since then. The decision grants presumptive service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss has been rated as noncompensable (0%) since September 29, 2009. The evidence shows no worse than Level I hearing acuity in the service-connected right ear and does not demonstrate deafness in the left ear.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the onset and relationship of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss to service, specifically in-service noise exposure.

The appeal is being remanded to further develop evidence regarding the Veteran's service connection claims and cause of death claim. The AOJ must obtain military personnel records, including ship logs, and develop allegations of herbicide exposure in Vietnam and ionizing radiation exposure during Operation Castle.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, but denied the reopening of a claim for headaches. The Veteran's headaches are related to in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's hearing impairment has been rated as noncompensable throughout the period on appeal, and does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating under VA's rating schedule.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability is related to his noise exposure during periods of active duty, Active Duty for Training (ADT), and Inactive Duty Training (IDT) in service. As such, the claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to service, and thus denied his claims for service connection.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and renal cell carcinoma were denied as there is no evidence of a causal relationship between the conditions and his military service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining military pay records and VA audiological opinions to determine the nature and likely etiology of the Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, hypertension, hepatitis C, and degenerative joint disease of the neck were denied. The Board found that there was no evidence to support a finding of in-service injury or aggravation leading to these conditions.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, hypertension, and major depressive disorder. The evidence does not support a finding that these conditions are related to his military service.

The Veteran's hypertension, left ear hearing loss, and otitis media were evaluated. The Board found that a 10% rating was warranted for hypertension but denied ratings for the other conditions due to lack of evidence showing compensable levels.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability is not attributable to service or shown to a compensable degree within the initial post separation year. Therefore, the claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied.