Hearing loss decisions — 2016

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to his death, and the claim for reopening service connection for bilateral hearing loss is moot.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for a new audiological evaluation to determine the current severity of his bilateral hearing loss, as the previous examination was deemed invalid due to lack of cooperation.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss had onset in service or was caused by his active military service, and the Board grants entitlement to service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's claim for payment or reimbursement of unauthorized medical expenses incurred during treatment at the Southeast Georgia Health System Camden Campus on July 21, 2011 is denied because the condition was not a medical emergency and a VA facility was feasibly available.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss, at its worst, is productive of level I hearing acuity in the right ear and level II hearing acuity in the left ear. The criteria for entitlement to an initial compensable disability rating have not been met.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for erectile dysfunction, bilateral hearing loss, and an acquired psychiatric disorder were denied. The claim for sleep apnea was not addressed as it is a separate issue.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a right ankle disability, PTSD, and chronic left ankle strain due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Veteran's hearing loss has been rated at 10 percent, the lowest available rating under VA guidelines. The Board found that his hearing loss does not warrant a higher rating based on the evidence of record.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are being remanded due to inadequate opinions in the July 2015 VA examination.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current tinnitus and hearing loss disabilities are related to his service, with the weight of evidence being at least in equipoise as to whether these conditions began during or were aggravated by service. As such, service connection is granted for bilateral tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is found to be related to his in-service noise exposure, and the Board grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's appeal for a compensable rating for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss was denied as he did not demonstrate compensable hearing loss at any point during the period on appeal.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his service, as there is no evidence of these conditions during or within one year after service. The VA examiners opined that the disabilities were less likely due to in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran is not rendered unable to obtain (secure) or maintain (follow) substantially gainful employment as a result of service-connected disabilities for any period.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss, peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities, and ischemic heart disease (IHD)/coronary artery disease (CAD) due to herbicide exposure. The Veteran's claim is being returned for further development.

The Veteran's hearing is manifested by no more than Level V hearing acuity in the right ear and no more than Level I hearing acuity in the left ear for the entire period on appeal, resulting in a noncompensable disability rating.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss was denied. The issue of whether new and material evidence has been received to reopen a claim of service connection for a right ankle disability is not addressed in the decision. The Veteran's PTSD rating remains at 50 percent.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus do not prevent him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have right ear hearing loss and did not find a link between his left ear hearing loss and service. Therefore, the claims for both conditions were denied.

The Board has granted service connection for right ear hearing loss, finding that the evidence is at least in equipoise on whether it had its onset during service. The lumbar spine disorder with associated radiculopathy claim must be remanded due to a failure to issue a Statement of the Case (SOC).