Hearing loss decisions — 2016

The Veteran's claim for service connection of bilateral hearing loss disability has been reopened and is now considered. The VA audiological examination report shows that the Veteran currently has a diagnosed hearing loss disability, which was not present during service or within one year of separation.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's PTSD is medically linked to a verified stressor during active military service, and therefore grants service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder (PTSD). The right ear hearing loss claim will be remanded for further development.

The Board has granted the Veteran's petition to reopen his claim for service connection for PTSD and remanded the issues of hearing loss, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder (to include PTSD) for further development.

The Veteran has been granted service connection for type II diabetes mellitus and erectile dysfunction as secondary to his service-connected type II diabetes mellitus.,The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is considered presumptively incurred in service due to herbicide exposure. Service connection was also granted for hypertension, which is presumed to have been caused by herbicide exposure during service.,Service connection has been established for a psychosis for the purpose of establishing eligibility for treatment only under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1702.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination and additional records.

The Board finds that the reduction of the evaluation from 40% to 20% for postoperative residuals of a herniated disc of the thoracolumbar spine was proper. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss service connection was not based on clear and unmistakable error in the April 2009 rating decision.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have a current hearing loss disability for VA rating purposes and denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The claim of service connection for tinnitus was granted, but no effective date is assigned as it relates to the grant of service connection.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether these conditions are related to service. The Appellant's claims have been reopened due to new and material evidence submitted since the last final denial.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of his claimed bilateral hearing loss disability and sleep disorder.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his military service, as there was no evidence of in-service noise exposure or a pre-existing condition worsening during service. The Veteran's current hearing loss and tinnitus were attributed to post-service factors.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right bundle branch block (a form of ischemic heart disease) is presumed to have been caused by his exposure to herbicides during service. The claim for bilateral hearing loss will be remanded as it requires further development.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has been rated at 100 percent since May 3, 2013.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to incomplete records and need for examinations.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities met the percentage requirements for a schedular TDIU, and the collective evidence on the question of whether the Veteran's service-connected disabilities have since prevented him from obtaining or retaining substantially gainful employment is relatively evenly balanced.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss warrants a 10 percent disability rating since December 11, 2013. Prior to this date, no compensable rating was warranted.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hyperacusis and a compensable disability evaluation for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there was no evidence to support these claims.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to concerns about the nature and severity of the Veteran's hearing loss and scars, as well as potential noise exposure during service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and hypertension have been denied as there is no current disability that meets the criteria for these conditions. The claim for a compensable rating for residuals of a spontaneous pneumothorax, right lung, remains pending.

The Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus are service connected. The psychiatric disorder, including depression, is not service connected.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a new VA audiological examination to determine the current severity of his bilateral hearing loss disability.