Hearing loss decisions — 2016

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, is found to be related to his service. The Board grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's claims for higher ratings for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss, as well as earlier effective dates for service connection, were denied. The current disability ratings are considered adequate to address the average impairment in earning capacity caused by these disabilities.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence was received to reopen the claim of service connection for left ear hearing loss. After considering all the evidence, including the Veteran's statements about in-service noise exposure and his wife's observations, the Board finds that there is sufficient credible evidence to support a finding that the current left ear hearing loss is related to his military service.

The Veteran does not have bilateral hearing loss to a disabling degree for VA compensation purposes.

The Veteran's left ear hearing loss has been rated as noncompensable (0 percent) since July 28, 2010. The VA examiner found that the audiometric testing revealed very inconsistent responses for tones and speeches, but did not show deafness in the non-service-connected right ear.

The Board has decided to remand the case for additional development, including obtaining an addendum opinion from the April 2015 VA examiner regarding the etiology of any right ear hearing loss and addressing the January 2015 private evaluation.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current hearing loss disability for VA purposes in his right ear and thus cannot establish service connection. For his left ear, while he had exposure to noise during military service, there is no causal link between this exposure and his current hearing loss.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not meet the criteria for service connection for bilateral knee disability or right ear hearing loss disability due to lack of evidence showing a link between current disabilities and active service.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss has not resulted in a compensable disability rating, as his audiometric test results have consistently shown Level I hearing acuity in both ears. The Board finds that the current noncompensable rating adequately reflects the clinically established impairment.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss does not warrant a compensable disability rating based on VA audiometric test results, which showed Level II and Level I hearing acuity in both ears. The noncompensable evaluation remains unchanged.

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss was not shown to have started during service or within one year of separation, and there is no evidence linking it to in-service noise exposure. The Board finds that the Veteran does not meet the criteria for service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his military service, with noise exposure being a significant factor.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was evaluated as noncompensable, and the claim for an initial compensable disability rating is denied.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss had been manifested by no worse than level II hearing acuity in the right ear and level I hearing acuity in the left ear, resulting in a noncompensable rating.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and disability affecting the bilateral ears other than hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that these conditions are not related to his military service or caused by his service-connected tinnitus.

The Veteran's appeal regarding service connection for acquired psychosis has been dismissed due to the grant of benefits under an alternative benefit provision. The claim for new and material evidence for bilateral hearing loss has been reopened, but denied as there is no evidence that meets the criteria for a compensable rating.

The Board has reopened the claims of service connection for hearing loss, chest pain, left and right knee disabilities, and PTSD. The evidence received since the June 2007 rating decision is new and material as it relates to an unestablished fact necessary to substantiate these claims.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The claims for service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the right and left upper extremities remain pending.

The Board has determined that the evidence is in equipoise as to whether the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his active service, including exposure to acoustic trauma. As such, the claims for service connection have been granted.

The Veteran's tinnitus is found to be related to his active military service. The bilateral hearing loss disability does not meet the criteria for a current disability as defined by VA regulations.