Hearing loss decisions — 2016

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus are found to be related to his active duty service, granting the claims for these conditions.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have a current heart disability and denied service connection for this condition. The appeal is limited to bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right ear hearing loss is as likely as not related to his active service, and grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was rated at 30 percent since December 3, 2009. Prior to that date, the rating remained noncompensable.

The Veteran's service connection claims for tinnitus, hearing loss, eye problems, dizziness, anxiety, depression, gout, diabetes mellitus (type II), and peripheral neuropathy have been granted. The effective date is not specified as the decision was issued in October 2016.

The Board has determined that tinnitus was incurred in service and granted the Veteran's claim for this condition. The issue of bilateral hearing loss is being remanded as it requires additional development.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding new and material evidence. The Board also granted service connection for both conditions as they are found to be related to active duty service.

The Board has reopened the claims for left knee disability, tinnitus, and obstructive sleep apnea. The claim of bilateral hearing loss remains denied as new evidence does not show a current disability for VA purposes. The Veteran's eye condition (glaucoma) is also being remanded for further examination.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and the residuals of bilateral NAION. The heart disability issue is remanded due to inadequate examination.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to incomplete verification of his periods of active duty, ACDUTRA, and INACDUTRA during his service in the Air Force Reserves. Additional VA medical opinions are needed to determine if the current diagnoses of bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his military service.

The Veteran's disability rating for bilateral hearing loss was reduced from 40 percent to 20 percent effective June 1, 2015. The reduction is based on the improvement in his speech recognition ability as determined by VA audiological examinations.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and prostate cancer, finding that there was no evidence of a current disability in either condition.

The Veteran's sleep apnea is found to be secondary to his service-connected diabetes mellitus. The Veteran's bronchial asthma, allergic rhinitis and sinusitis, and bilateral hearing loss are all rated at the maximum allowable under VA rating criteria.

The Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability and organic diseases of the nervous system were not incurred in or aggravated by service, and thus he is not entitled to service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for left knee disability and bilateral hearing loss, as well as entitlement to a TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional development.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including a VA audiological examination and obtaining updated VA treatment records.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeals on all issues, indicating that the September 2016 rating decision granting him a 100% disability evaluation satisfied his appeal.

The Veteran's tinnitus, hearing loss, and bilateral upper extremity sensory polyneuropathy are all found to be related to service. The claims for these conditions have been granted.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD based on verified in-service combat experiences. The claims for skin disorder, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and other conditions are also granted as new and material evidence has been received.

The September 2008 and May 2010 rating decisions denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, bilateral plantar fasciitis, and gout respectively. The Veteran's claims have been reopened but not substantiated.,New evidence submitted in May 2011 includes a VA examination report indicating that the Veteran developed bilateral plantar fasciitis from military service. This new evidence relates to an unestablished fact necessary to substantiate the claim and raises a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim.