Hearing loss decisions — 2016

The Board found that the Veteran's current hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his service, as there was no evidence of hearing impairment during or immediately after service. The VA examiner provided a more probative opinion against the claim.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's PTSD is service-connected due to a qualifying in-service stressor, and his bilateral hearing loss does not meet the criteria for service connection.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have a current disability of hearing loss as defined by VA standards, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is found to have been incurred in service due to acoustic trauma, and the claim for service connection is granted.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for anxiety, bilateral hearing loss, and vertigo. The claim for service connection for anxiety was denied as there is no diagnosed condition separate from his already service-connected cognitive impairment or dementia due to Parkinson's disease. The claim for bilateral hearing loss was denied as there is no currently diagnosed disability. The claim for vertigo remains pending.

The Veteran does not have a currently diagnosed hearing loss disability as defined by VA regulation and the Board finds that the preponderance of the evidence is against the claim on both a presumptive and direct basis.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, pseudofolliculitis barbae (PFB), and an acquired psychiatric disorder. The decision found no evidence of current disabilities related to these conditions.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn for the issues of entitlement to service connection for a right shoulder disability and entitlement to an initial compensable disability rating for a burn scar of the right forearm. The claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied as there is no evidence of current hearing loss.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss disability has been rated as noncompensable throughout the appeal period. The most severe hearing impairment corresponded to a level III designation for both ears, warranting a noncompensable rating.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development of his claims, including obtaining medical records and providing an addendum opinion regarding his hearing loss, tinnitus, and pulmonary disorder.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss was denied as there is no evidence of a current disability meeting VA criteria and the Board finds that his in-service noise exposure did not result in a current bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's conditions are at least as likely as not caused by in-service noise exposure. Service connection was denied for type II diabetes mellitus due to lack of evidence linking it to service.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right ear hearing loss and left ear hearing loss. The Veteran is not shown to have a current disability of these conditions, with the exception of left ear hearing loss which was found to be less likely related to military noise exposure. Service connection for erectile dysfunction and tinnitus are also denied.

The Board finds that the evidence does not support a finding of current right ear hearing loss disability for VA compensation purposes and therefore service connection must be denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current left knee disability is service-connected, as it was aggravated by his military duties. The hearing loss and tinnitus claims are remanded for additional development.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have a current bilateral hearing loss disability as defined by VA regulatory criteria, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Board found that the evidence did not support a grant of service connection for hearing loss or neurologic residuals of jaw fracture. For scars from concussion with occipital scalp laceration, the Board determined that the criteria for a 30 percent rating were met but not higher, and for painful scars from concussion with occipital scalp laceration, the criteria for a 10 percent rating were met but not higher.

The Veteran's left ankle disability is rated at the maximum allowable under the applicable rating criteria, and his bilateral hearing loss is not compensable prior to September 10, 2014. The appeal has been granted.

The Veteran's appeals for higher initial disability ratings were denied. The VA examinations and medical records did not support the requested increased ratings.

The Veteran's initial claim for higher ratings for bilateral hearing loss was granted, with a rating of 20% effective November 18, 2011. The decision is based on the criteria for direct service connection and does not involve any presumption or secondary service connection.