Hearing loss decisions — 2017

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss and service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was found to be noncompensably disabling, as his pure tone thresholds did not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation under VA's tables for rating hearing loss disabilities.

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 30 percent for PTSD was denied, and his claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss was also denied. The Board found that the Veteran did not have a current disability related to service for either condition.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hearing loss and PTSD claims require additional development due to inadequate or incomplete medical opinions, as well as missing treatment records.

The Board has granted service connection for left ear hearing loss and found that the Veteran's current condition is related to his military noise exposure. The claim of a compensable rating for right ear hearing loss is remanded for further development.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus had its onset during active service and has continued since, granting service connection for this condition. The issue of bilateral hearing loss is addressed in the REMAND portion of the decision.

The Veteran's left knee DJD is directly related to his military service.,The Veteran's right knee DJD was proximately due to his service-connected left knee DJD.

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

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has been rated at 10 percent since May 7, 2009. The January 2016 VA examination confirmed the severity of his hearing impairment and maintained a rating of 10 percent.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was manifested by Level III hearing acuity in both ears, resulting in a noncompensable evaluation. The issue of service connection for a low back disorder is addressed in the REMAND portion of the decision and is REMANDED to the Agency of Original Jurisdiction (AOJ).

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss and service connection for coronary artery disease and erectile dysfunction, finding no evidence to support these claims.

The Veteran's service-connected right knee disability and hearing loss have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment since May 1, 2012.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are found to have begun in service, meeting the criteria for direct service connection. Service connection is also granted for PTSD and generalized anxiety disorder, as these conditions are related to his reported in-service stressors.

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss and lumbar degenerative joint disease with intervertebral disc syndrome are service-connected, but the Veteran does not meet criteria for a higher rating for his acromioclavicular joint condition.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and an increased rating for TBI was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of current hearing loss disability or a causal relationship between in-service noise exposure and current hearing loss. For TBI, the most recent VA examination showed normal hearing and no significant cognitive impairment.

The Veteran's tinnitus is found to be etiologically related to military service, and the claim for service connection for tinnitus has been granted.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from securing and following substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not meet the percentage requirements for a TDIU prior to March 18, 2008. The Director of Compensation Service determined that extraschedular consideration was not warranted.

The Veteran's left ear hearing loss and PTSD have been granted service connection, while COPD has not. The right ear hearing loss is rated as noncompensable.

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 20 percent for his cervical spine disability was denied as the evidence did not show that forward flexion was limited to 15 degrees or less, which would warrant a higher rating under the General Rating Formula for Diseases and Injuries of the Spine.,The Veteran's claim for TDIU prior to November 7, 2011 was also denied as he failed to complete the necessary VA Form 21-8940, leaving insufficient information regarding his employment history.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete information regarding the Appellant's periods of active duty for training (ACDUTRA) and inactive duty for training (INACDUTRA). The VA examiner was asked to provide an opinion on whether his current hearing loss and tinnitus are related to in-service acoustic trauma during any period of ACDUTRA or INACDUTRA. Further efforts to obtain records from the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) and Defense Finance Accounting Service (DFAS) were also requested.