Hearing loss decisions — 2017

The Veteran seeks service connection for bilateral hearing loss, which he claims is due to in-service noise exposure. The Board has ordered a remand as the VA examiner did not consider the lay statements regarding the onset of his claimed hearing loss and the internal contradiction in the February 1970 enlistment examination.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability. The Veteran's claim for service connection will be reconsidered after obtaining a supplemental opinion.

The Veteran's hearing acuity was not shown to be worse than Level I in either ear from March 21, 2005 to October 20, 2011. Therefore, a compensable evaluation for bilateral hearing loss disability has not been met at any point during this period.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and residuals of a right shoulder injury are related to his service, thus granting service connection for these conditions.

The Board finds that the Veteran's current ear disabilities, including bilateral tympanic membrane perforations due to recurrent otorrhea and bilateral hearing loss, were not incurred or aggravated during active service. The evidence does not support a finding of aggravation beyond its natural progression.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to address the etiology of his bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current left ear hearing loss disability for VA purposes and therefore, service connection cannot be granted.

The Veteran's hearing loss is currently rated as 0 percent disabling, and the claim for a compensable evaluation has been denied.,For peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity prior to January 11, 2017, the Veteran was assigned a 10 percent rating. From that date forward, he is entitled to a 20 percent rating. The claim for an evaluation in excess of 20 percent has been denied.,For peripheral neuropathy of the left lower extremity prior to January 11, 2017, the Veteran was assigned a 10 percent rating. From that date forward, he is entitled to a 20 percent rating. The claim for an evaluation in excess of 20 percent has been denied.

The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for service-connected bilateral hearing loss has been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not warrant a higher rating at any point during the appeal period.

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

The Veteran's claims for hypertension and bilateral hearing loss disability are being remanded due to the failure to attend a scheduled VA examination. A new examination is required.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is service-connected as it began during his active military service and persists.

The Veteran's service connection claim for slurring, secondary to thoracic spine scoliosis and lumbar spine lordosis is denied. The Board finds that the evidence does not support a finding of slurred speech or other impairment as a side effect of his medication. For his thoracic spine scoliosis and lumbar spine lordosis, the Veteran's disability rating remains at 20 percent due to forward flexion of the thoracolumbar spine greater than 30 degrees but not greater than 60 degrees.

The Board denied an extraschedular compensable disability rating for bilateral hearing loss, finding that the available schedular evaluations adequately described the Veteran's disability level and symptomatology.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of a head injury was denied in July 2004, but new and material evidence has been submitted. The Board finds that the Veteran experienced acoustic trauma during service which may have caused his current hearing loss.,Service connection is granted for right ear hearing loss as it is related to in-service acoustic trauma.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection of left ear hearing loss due to new and material evidence. The case is being remanded to obtain updated VA treatment records, including from Little Road VAMC, and to schedule a VA examination to assess the current severity of his right ear hearing loss.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the claims for service connection for hair loss, joint pain (reopened), rash, back disability, STD, sleep apnea secondary to PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus. The Veteran's symptoms of these conditions are found to be related to his military service.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for tinnitus, finding that his current tinnitus had its onset during his active duty service. The issue of service connection for bilateral hearing loss is being remanded due to incomplete information in the VA examination report.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss. Affording the Veteran the benefit of the doubt, it is at least as likely as not that his current bilateral hearing loss was incurred during active military service.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to inadequate examination reports, lack of consideration of delayed-onset conditions, and need for additional medical opinions.