Hearing loss decisions — 2017

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of bilateral hearing loss for VA purposes and therefore, service connection is not warranted. The issue of service connection for immersion foot remains on appeal.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to address his claims of service connection for TBI and a higher rating for bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are being remanded for further development as the VA examiner did not consider the Veteran's testimony regarding his noise exposure in service.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus, specifically considering his service treatment records.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are found to be related to service, while the peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities is not. Service connection for these conditions is granted.

The Board determined that the Veteran does not have a current disability for VA purposes related to bilateral hearing loss and denied service connection for MDD as secondary to service-connected disabilities. The claim was also denied due to lack of evidence linking the MDD to any other disability, including service-connected ones.

The Veteran's tinnitus is found to be etiologically related to his service, and the claim for service connection for tinnitus is granted. The issue of service connection for bilateral hearing loss is addressed in a separate REMAND portion.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his in-service acoustic trauma, and thus service connection is granted for both conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including scheduling a VA examination to assess the current severity of his service-connected bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Board has granted service connection for sleep apnea, tinnitus, left ear hearing loss, and headaches. The Veteran's claims are supported by competent lay evidence of continuity of symptoms since service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation since June 28, 2014. The Board has granted TDIU effective from that date.

The Board has remanded the case to the AOJ for issuance of a Statement of the Case (SOC) addressing whether new and material evidence has been received to reopen the claim of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, a right knee condition, and a left knee condition. The Veteran's conditions are found to be related to his military service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for left ear hearing loss and PTSD was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a causal relationship between current hearing loss or PTSD and military service.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss is currently rated at 70 percent, effective from March 23, 2017. Service connection for residuals of renal cell carcinoma and sinusitis has been granted.

The Veteran is seeking an effective date prior to March 8, 2013, for the award of a 40 percent evaluation for bilateral hearing loss. The Board has determined that March 8, 2013, is the earliest date on which VA received the claim for increased compensation.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities (bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and PTSD) rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment. The Board granted the TDIU based on this finding.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is found to be related to his in-service noise exposure and/or diabetes mellitus, resulting in service connection being granted.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current tinnitus is at least as likely as not caused by in-service noise exposure. The issue of bilateral hearing loss remains pending and will be addressed after obtaining additional development.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently rated at 50 percent, and the Board finds that this rating adequately reflects his disability level and symptomatology.