Hearing loss decisions — 2017

The Board finds that the evidence is in relative equipoise as to whether the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is related to in-service acoustic trauma, and therefore grants service connection for this disability.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to inadequate medical opinions regarding whether the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is related to service, specifically in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's tinnitus did not manifest in active service or to a compensable degree within the first post-active service year, and such disability is not etiologically related to service. The Board finds that the evidence does not show that the Veteran's current right ear hearing loss and/or left ear hearing loss are related to noise exposure in service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right ear hearing loss and tinnitus are not linked to disease or injury incurred in active service, and thus denied his claims for service connection.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and a mood disorder, have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. The Board has determined that his claim should be submitted for consideration of an extraschedular TDIU under 38 C.F.R. § 4.16(b).

The VA determined that the Veteran's bilateral SNHL did not meet the criteria for a finding of hearing loss disability under VA standards at any point during service, and thus denied his claim.

The Veteran meets the schedular criteria for TDIU and his service-connected disabilities preclude him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining an addendum opinion from a VA examiner regarding whether the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were aggravated by his service-connected frostbite residuals.

The Veteran is entitled to a TDIU from October 14, 1997 through September 25, 2003, including on an extra-schedular basis prior to July 14, 2003.

The Board found no evidence of a current left ear hearing loss disability and determined that the Veteran's pre-existing hearing loss did not increase in severity during service. Therefore, the claim for service connection for left ear hearing loss was denied.

The Veteran's claims for increased rating of bilateral hearing loss and service connection for vestibular neuritis were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher evaluation for his hearing loss disability, as it was consistent with the current assigned evaluation.

The Veteran's tinnitus had its onset during service and has continued since. The Board finds that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability was aggravated by service, as evidenced by significant threshold shifts in his audiometric results from before and after service. Service connection is granted for these conditions.

The Veteran's tinnitus claim is dismissed. The Board finds that the Veteran has a current hearing loss disability related to service, and his lumbar spine disorder is also related to service. No rating assigned as no specific issue was resolved.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is found to have started in service and is related to noise exposure, thus service connection is granted.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus before the Board could issue a decision.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to a conflicting medical appointment, and he has been requested for a travel board hearing at the RO in Montgomery, Alabama.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss has not been manifested by hearing acuity worse than Level II in his right ear and Level III in his left ear, resulting in a noncompensable rating.

The Veteran's tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss are granted as service-connected, with the Board finding that these conditions were incurred in service. The Veteran's pulmonary disorder is not service connected.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss in both ears and tinnitus, finding new and material evidence to reopen his previously denied claim of service connection for hearing loss in the right ear. The Veteran is also found to have a current diagnosis of tinnitus.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to service, granting both claims.