Hearing loss decisions — 2016

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are at least as likely as not related to his active service, thus granting his claims for service connection.

The Board denied service connection for a right great toe disability and a right ear hearing loss disability. The Veteran's claim was not supported by evidence showing the presence of a disease or injury in service, nor did she provide sufficient evidence to establish continuity of symptomatology.

The Veteran's current hearing loss is related to his in-service exposure to hazardous noise, and the Board finds that service connection for hearing loss is warranted.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral sensorineural hearing loss is found to be the primary cause of his chronic atypical headaches, and thus service connection for such is granted.

The Board has granted service connection for chronic otitis media of the left ear and left ear hearing loss, finding that these conditions are related to in-service otitis media and preexisting hearing loss, respectively.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to address the service connection claims for various disabilities, including hearing loss and heart condition, all claimed as secondary to mercury poisoning.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability has been rated as noncompensable, and the Board finds that a compensable rating is not warranted based on the current evidence of record.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for ischemic heart disease was denied, and his hearing loss claim was also denied as it did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating. The Board found that the Veteran's hearing impairment corresponded to level I or II in both ears, resulting in noncompensable evaluations.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and finds that new evidence supports a finding of in-service acoustic trauma, leading to current bilateral hearing loss. The claim is therefore granted.

The Veteran's claim for a higher initial rating for healed bilateral tympanic membrane perforations is denied as the current noncompensable rating is the maximum allowed under Diagnostic Code 6211.,The RO's April 1971 decision denying service connection for hearing loss and its April 2002 decision determining that new and material evidence had not been received to reopen the claim are both final.

The Board has ordered a remand due to the inadequacy of an earlier VA opinion regarding the relationship between the Veteran's right ear hearing loss and his in-service noise exposure. The case is now being returned for further development.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is not related to his active duty service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has decided that the case must be returned to the RO for further development, including obtaining an addendum VA examination opinion regarding right ear hearing loss and addressing service connection for both left and right ear hearing loss issues.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability is not related to his service, and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has been rated at 20 percent since May 19, 2010. The Board found that the evidence does not support a higher rating.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss disability does not warrant an increased rating in excess of the currently assigned 10 percent, as it does not cause average impairment in earning capacity beyond what is already reflected by the current schedular evaluation.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed before the claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss can be decided. The Veteran's claim will be returned to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Regional Office (RO) for further action.

The Board finds that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his right sciatic nerve paralysis and other conditions, contributed substantially to his death from an intracranial hemorrhage. As a result, the appeal is granted.

The Board has determined that additional development is necessary for the Veteran's claims of service connection for a low back disability and right ear hearing loss. The case is REMANDED to obtain an addendum opinion from the April 2016 examiner who conducted the Veteran's back examination, as well as a VA examination for his right ear hearing loss.

The Veteran's tremor disorder is granted as secondary to his service-connected posttraumatic stress disorder. The hyperlipidemia claim was withdrawn by the Veteran's representative.