Hearing loss decisions — 2016

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss are related to his active service, including exposure to loud noises during military exercises. As a result, these conditions have been granted service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hearing loss in his left ear is related to noise exposure during service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that the case must be remanded to obtain an adequate opinion regarding the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus claims, as well as to address any other issues inextricably intertwined with these claims.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his tension headaches rated at 50 percent disabling and bilateral flat feet rated at 30 percent disabling, have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment. The Board has granted a TDIU.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's carpal tunnel syndrome, right hand, was not incurred in active service. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is also denied as there is no indication of its onset during or related to his military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability is related to his in-service noise exposure, and thus service connection for this condition is granted.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including issuing a statement of the case on depression and PTSD, and scheduling a Travel Board hearing.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a compensable disability rating for bilateral hearing loss in October 2013, finding that the evidence did not support such a rating.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability is not related to service, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus do not render him unemployable, as his disabilities are not severe enough to prevent him from securing or maintaining substantially gainful employment.

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

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus did not manifest during service or within one year of separation, and are not otherwise related to service. Therefore, service connection for these conditions was denied.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is rated at 10 percent, and his PTSD is currently rated at 30 percent throughout the appeal period.

The Board denied the Appellant's claim for special monthly dependency and indemnity compensation based on permanent incapacity for self-support prior to attaining the age of 18 due to physical or mental defect, as there is no evidence showing he was permanently incapable of self-support by reason of a physical defect prior to his 18th birthday.

The Veteran's appeal includes claims for a compensable rating for left ear hearing loss, service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II (claimed as secondary to herbicide exposure), and TDIU. The Board has not yet issued an SOC on the diabetes claim or referred the issue of extraschedular consideration for left ear hearing loss to the Director of Compensation and Pension Service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, AIDS, and an acquired psychiatric disorder. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were related to service.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss did not have its clinical onset in service and is not otherwise related to active duty. The left ear cholesteatoma was also determined not to have had its clinical onset in service or be otherwise related to active duty.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is related to his active service, and grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a compensable rating prior to July 29, 2013, and only supported a 10 percent disability rating from that date forward.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is related to his in-service exposure to noise, and he currently has a disability that meets the criteria for service connection. The Board also finds that there is at least an equal likelihood that the Veteran's left eye disability is related to his period of service, including hospitalization for an adverse reaction to penicillin with eye involvement.