Hearing loss decisions — 2016

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left ear hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there is no evidence to support a nexus between these conditions and his military service or any service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining a VA medical opinion and ensuring that all relevant evidence is considered.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral tinnitus is at least as likely as not due to his active service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is being remanded for further development, including obtaining an adequate opinion on the combined effects of his service-connected disabilities on his employability.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeals for all remaining issues, including those related to Meniere's disease, bilateral hearing loss, and Reiter's syndrome.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are found to be the result of in-service noise exposure, which meets the criteria for service connection.

The Veteran's application for Service-Disabled Veterans Insurance (RH) was denied because his history of colon cancer, which is not considered a service-connected condition, precludes him from being in 'good health' as defined by VA standards.

The Veteran's claims for service connection of a back disorder, hearing loss, and eye disorder are being remanded due to the need for additional development.

The Board finds that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of bilateral hearing loss for VA purposes and therefore, service connection is denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining updated treatment records and scheduling a vocational specialist examination. The case will be reviewed again after these actions are completed.

The Board has determined that a new VA examination is needed to determine the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, as the current examination did not consider all relevant evidence or provide sufficient rationale for its opinion.

The Board granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss effective July 22, 2008 and assigned a 100% disability rating. The Veteran's claim was reopened in April 2010, which is the earliest date of record for his claim to reopen.

The Board finds that the Veteran's pre-February 2003 to January 2004 service left ear hearing loss disability was aggravated by noise exposure during his active service.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have a current hearing loss disability for VA purposes, and thus denied his claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has decided to remand the case for additional development, including obtaining a medical opinion regarding the nature and etiology of any current bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to noise exposure during service, resulting in a grant of service connection for both conditions.,There is at least a 50% likelihood that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are due to his military service.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to ensure a complete record for the claims of bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. The Veteran's service records from his National Guard service are missing, which may be relevant to these claims.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is related to his active service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent, the maximum available rating. The Board finds that he does not meet or approximate the criteria for a higher rating due to his symptoms and functional impairment.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for additional compensation for a dependent spouse is denied as the appropriate effective date is June 10, 2013.