Hearing loss decisions — 2016

The Board has dismissed the appeal for the issue of entitlement to an increased evaluation for bilateral hearing loss due to withdrawal by the Veteran. The Veteran meets the criteria for TDIU based on his service-connected disabilities, rendering him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability and gastritis were denied. The Board also addressed other issues, including PTSD, but did not reach a decision on them.

Service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus has not been established as they are not related to service.,Service connection for testicle condition and right leg laceration has not been established as there is no indication of such conditions in service or post-service prior to the Veteran's claim.,The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 30 percent since September 16, 2013, and at 70 percent thereafter.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have diagnosed conditions for which service connection can be granted, specifically bilateral hearing loss and PTSD. The claims are therefore denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing disability, diagnosed as sensorineural hearing loss, may be reasonably related to his in-service exposure to loud noise and other events. As a result, service connection for this condition is granted.

The Board finds that the Veteran's preexisting left ear hearing loss was aggravated by service exposure to loud noise (acoustic trauma) while in service, and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability was not incurred or aggravated in service and is not related to his military service. The evidence does not support a finding of continuity of symptomatology from service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his active duty service, granting his claims for these conditions.

The Veteran's service separation form shows he had continuous active service from January 5, 1961 to December 27, 1962. However, his service ended before the start of the Vietnam era and does not meet the criteria for qualifying wartime service as required by law.

The Veteran's tinnitus is related to acoustic trauma during service and the Board grants service connection for tinnitus. The issue of bilateral hearing loss is addressed in the REMAND portion of the decision.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are found to be related to his in-service exposure to loud noise, resulting in service connection being granted.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to his death. The Board has no jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits of this appeal at this time.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable disability rating for bilateral hearing loss, including consideration of an extraschedular rating, is being remanded due to the need for a Travel Board hearing.

The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied, while his claim for service connection for tinnitus was granted.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's current bilateral sensorineural hearing loss began during his military service due to in-service noise exposure. Service connection was denied for vertigo as there is insufficient evidence linking it to service.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining audiograms from post-service employment and scheduling a VA examination. The Veteran's claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss is pending.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran did not have current disabilities during the pendency of her claims and that there was no causal link to service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA audiological evaluation to address his bilateral hearing loss.

The Board finds that the Veteran does not have a current disability of bilateral hearing loss as defined by VA regulations, and thus service connection for this condition is denied.

The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a compensable rating prior to October 31, 2014 and no higher than 10 percent on or after that date.