Hearing loss decisions — 2016

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss disability has been evaluated as noncompensable based on the severity of his hearing impairment, which does not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to obtain and maintain gainful employment, and there are no unusual or exceptional disability factors warranting referral of the Veteran's claim for TDIU. The Board finds that the preponderance of the evidence is against the claim and entitlement to TDIU is not warranted.

The Board is remanding the case for further development to address inconsistencies in a previous medical opinion and to obtain an addendum opinion regarding the cause of the Veteran's death.

The Board has determined that there is no evidence of hearing loss in the right ear for VA purposes and thus service connection cannot be granted. For the left ear, while hearing loss was shown on examination, it did not meet VA criteria for a disability. The examiner's opinion supported by specialized training concluded that the Veteran's current hearing loss in the left ear is less likely than not related to his military service.

The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable disability rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied as the current audiometric testing results do not warrant a higher rating. The issues of entitlement to increased ratings for PTSD and service connection for erectile dysfunction secondary to PTSD are remanded due to inadequate VA examination opinions.

The Veteran's initial claims for increased ratings were granted, with the exception of his claim for an initial compensable evaluation for bilateral tinea pedis. The rating assigned was 10 percent for ischemic heart disease and anxiety disorder.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral tinnitus and left ear hearing loss do not render him unable to obtain or maintain substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's initial ratings for bilateral hearing loss prior to April 1, 2011 and since that date have been denied as the evidence does not support higher ratings. The claim of service connection for a gallbladder condition has also been denied.

The Board found that the Veteran's current right ear hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his military noise exposure, thus denying service connection for these conditions.

The Board found that the Veteran's hearing loss is not related to his military service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claims, including obtaining a new VA examination for his left knee disability and issuing supplemental statements of the case addressing all issues on appeal.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and peripheral neuropathy are being remanded due to the unavailability of service treatment records. The claim for an increased disability rating for PTSD is also being remanded as a Statement of the Case has not been issued.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is not related to his service, but his bilateral hearing loss may be related. The current examination report and opinions are inadequate for rating purposes.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is related to in-service noise exposure and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board found no evidence of a causal relationship between the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability and his active military service, including exposure to loud noises. The earliest clinical evidence of hearing loss was in 1978, approximately eight years after separation from service.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss is manifested by no worse than Level I hearing acuity, bilaterally. The criteria for a compensable disability rating have not been met.

The Veteran's hearing loss is manifested by pure tone threshold averages and speech recognition scores that correspond to no more than a level 'I'. The criteria for a compensable rating for hearing loss have not been met.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is being remanded due to the need for a VA examination and additional development.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to incomplete development of records, including VA treatment records from April 1999 to present. The Veteran's evidence regarding a 2009 medical article on noise-induced damage is also considered.

The Board has decided to remand the claim for a TDIU due to service-connected disabilities, as further development is needed to consider the combined functional effects of all service-connected conditions and their impact on employment.