Hearing loss decisions — 2016

The evidence indicates that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his hearing loss, prevented him from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment prior to July 1, 2009.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right ear hearing loss is not related to his military service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss and adenocarcinoma of the prostate was denied. The Board granted a TDIU rating effective from February 25, 2011.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus began during service and has persisted since, warranting service connection. The case is being remanded for a VA examination to determine the etiology of his bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hearing loss disability may be related to service, and thus remands the case for further development.

The Board has determined that additional development is necessary before the claims can be decided, including obtaining audiogram results and conducting VA examinations for hearing loss, left shoulder disability, and lower back disability.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain additional medical opinions and to ensure all development actions have been taken. The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss will be returned to the AOJ after completion of the requested actions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current hearing loss disability in either ear or tinnitus, and therefore service connection for these conditions is denied.

The Board has determined that service connection is warranted for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, and the Veteran's PTSD warrants a rating of 30 percent. The TDIU claim has also been granted.

The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied as the evidence did not support a higher evaluation based on his audiometric test results.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus disabilities are not related to service, and thus denied his claims for service connection.

The Board has remanded the TDIU issue due to insufficient development of evidence regarding the Veteran's service-connected disabilities and their impact on his employability. The case is being returned for further action.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has been rated at 10 percent since July 20, 2012. The Board finds that the evidence does not support a higher rating.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right ear hearing loss and tinnitus are service-connected as they resulted from in-service noise exposure. The left ear hearing loss is also service-connected, but only because it was aggravated by in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were denied as there is no evidence of a nexus between the conditions and his military service.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there is sufficient evidence to support these claims based on in-service noise exposure and current symptoms.

The Veteran's service-connected hearing loss disability did not prevent him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment prior to December 29, 2010.

The Board finds that the Veteran's claimed bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus are not related to her military service, and thus denied these claims.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there is no evidence of aggravation during service and that his current conditions are not related to service.

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss has been denied as the maximum schedular rating of 10 percent is already in effect.