Hearing loss decisions — 2017

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and hypertension have been granted. The Board finds that the Veteran has established service connection for these conditions based on their presumptive association with herbicide exposure during active duty.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his military service, as there is no evidence of in-service noise exposure or onset of symptoms during service. The preponderance of the evidence does not support a finding of continuity of symptomatology since service.

The Veteran's service connection claims for a back disability, right ear hearing loss, left leg numbness, and skin disability are being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions.,For his right ear hearing loss claim, the Board finds that there is not enough evidence to determine if it was incurred in or aggravated by service.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional VA examinations and records, as well as a new evaluation of the Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has granted service connection for right ear hearing loss as secondary to service-connected headaches. However, the claim of entitlement to service connection for sleep apnea, head injury, and left foot bone spur have been denied due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to active service or service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran is granted SMC based on housebound status beyond December 1, 2012. He has a single service-connected disability rated as 100 percent due to diabetes mellitus and its associated conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities (PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, and back disability) render him unable to obtain and maintain substantially gainful employment.

The Board denied an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's June 1997 claim did not include a claim for tinnitus and that his September 1997 denial was final.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently rated as noncompensably disabling prior to April 15, 2016 and 30 percent disabling thereafter. The Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted at any time during the appeal period.

The Board has ordered a remand to obtain updated VA treatment records and the complete July 2014 VA audiogram results. The Veteran's claim for a compensable disability rating for bilateral hearing loss will be reconsidered based on this additional evidence.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and acquired psychiatric disorders, including PTSD and major depressive disorder, are not related to service. The evidence does not support a finding of in-service noise exposure or other causation.

The Veteran's claims for an initial compensable rating prior to October 19, 2010 for bilateral hearing loss and service connection for an upper back disability were denied. The December 2016 reduction in the rating for hearing loss was found to be void ab initio.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are found to be service-connected. The Veteran's hiatal hernia and multiple gallstones are not service-connected.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to the death of the appellant during the pendency of the appeal.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability is not related to noise exposure during military service and may not be presumed due to a one-year post-service onset period. The evidence does not support a finding of in-service incurrence or continuity of symptoms since service.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for a compensable rating for service-connected bilateral hearing loss and an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus since July 10, 2010.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to adjudicate the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, including obtaining his Navy Reserve records and scheduling a VA examination.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is found to be related to service exposure to noise, and the Board grants service connection for this disability.

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss disability was not found to be incurred in or aggravated during service. The Board also denied the claim for lumbar spine disability due to lack of evidence showing a current disability.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current lung disorder or hearing loss disability, and thus service connection for these conditions is denied.