Hearing loss decisions — 2016

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, bilateral sensorineural hearing loss, spondylosis of the spine, and bilateral hydroceles and epidermal cysts. The Board found no medical evidence linking these conditions to service or any presumptive exposure basis.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his service, and the Board has granted service connection for these conditions.

The Board finds that the preponderance of the evidence is against a finding of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. The Veteran's claim for PTSD remains pending.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss has been fully granted with a noncompensable rating effective October 27, 2015. The appeal is dismissed as the issue is no longer in appellate status.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining private treatment records and arranging a VA examination. The appeal is now pending again with the Board.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral sensorineural hearing loss and tinnitus are service-connected, with the former being granted based on direct evidence of a current disability related to in-service noise exposure. The latter is presumed due to chronic disease manifested during service.

The Veteran's bilateral sensorineural hearing loss was rated at 10 percent effective September 22, 2015. The claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder remains pending.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for chronic kidney disease and stress, left ear hearing loss, and tinnitus. The decision found that the NOD regarding these issues was untimely filed.

The Veteran's appeal for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss disability has been dismissed due to his death.

The Veteran does not have a current hearing loss disability in his left ear for VA compensation purposes, and therefore service connection is denied.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus should be remanded due to incomplete records, including missing service treatment records. The Veteran is asked to provide any additional medical evidence related to his conditions.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are found to be related to his military service, specifically due to noise exposure during Reserve duty. Service connection is granted for these conditions.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral ear disability and tinnitus, but these claims are being remanded to obtain additional medical opinions regarding the nature and etiology of the claimed conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional medical evidence and development of his claims. The issues include increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss, knee degenerative joint disease with right knee anterior cruciate ligament tear status post surgery and left knee medial meniscus tear status post surgery, right ankle bone cyst status post excision and bone grafting, and left Achilles tendonitis.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional medical inquiry due to a recent hearing loss examination not having been conducted in the last two years.

The Board has decided to remand the case for additional development, including obtaining records related to the Veteran's Worker's Compensation benefits and scheduling a VA examination. The examiner will provide opinions on whether it is at least as likely as not that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was caused by or began during his military service, and if so, whether his service-connected tinnitus aggravated his hearing loss.

The Board denied service connection for tinnitus on a direct-incurrence basis and denied a compensable initial rating for bilateral hearing loss prior to February 23, 2009.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not service-connected as they did not develop due to in-service noise exposure. The VA examiner found that the current hearing loss is more likely related to occupational noise exposure post-service, rather than service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a VA examination and social and industrial survey to assess the severity of his service-connected PTSD and its impact on his employability.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability did not begin during or for several decades after his active duty service and was not otherwise caused by service.