Hearing loss decisions — 2017

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right ear hearing loss is not incurred in or caused by military service and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for the purpose of obtaining additional medical records and readjudication.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is being remanded for further review by the VA Director of Compensation Service to determine if an extraschedular TDIU is warranted due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, urinary incontinence, lesions of the lower extremities, and erectile dysfunction. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were incurred or caused by active duty service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus originated during active service and is granted service connection.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and a VA examination to assess the etiology of his right ear hearing loss.

The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating for PTSD was withdrawn. The claim of service connection for right ear hearing loss has been reopened due to the submission of new and material evidence, but the claim remains denied as there is no current diagnosis of a right ear hearing loss disability.,The Veteran's right ear hearing loss claim was denied because he does not meet the VA standards under 38 C.F.R. § 3.385 for a current hearing loss disability.

The Veteran's claim for residuals, groin injury was reopened and granted service connection.,Service connection is granted for coronary artery disease due to herbicide exposure.,Service connection is granted for diabetes mellitus, type 2 due to herbicide exposure.,Service connection is granted for a right knee disability.,Service connection is granted for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss are service-connected, with the exception of the hearing loss claim which is remanded.

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to his death.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left ear hearing loss and bilateral flat feet are service-connected based on in-service exposure to noise and military duties.

The Board has decided to remand the case for additional development, including obtaining a new VA medical opinion and gathering additional evidence from the Veteran.

The Veteran has withdrawn their appeal for restoration of a 100 percent disability rating for bilateral hearing loss, including the question of whether the reduction in compensation from 100 percent to 80 percent disabling was proper.

The Veteran's appeal is denied as he does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating for his bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to address the claims of service connection and rating for his disabilities, including bilateral hearing loss, right elbow epicondylitis, recurrent muscle strain of the lumbar spine, residuals of a right ankle strain, residuals of a left ankle strain, and residuals of a cervical spine injury.

The Board finds that the preponderance of competent and credible evidence does not support a finding that the Veteran has a current right ear disability related to a ruptured right ear drum during his active duty service.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss from April 21, 2016 to the present does not warrant a compensable rating.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for Raynaud's syndrome of the hands and feet, as well as his claim for an initial compensable rating for tinea pedis both feet and onychomycosis toenails. The Veteran's conditions are not considered to be related to military service.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are at least as likely as not related to his active duty service. The claims for prostate cancer, diabetes mellitus, and coronary artery disease have been remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding their etiology.

The Board has reviewed the evidence and determined that new and material evidence has not been submitted to reopen the Veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus. The previous denials were based on a finding of no current disability, and the provided evidence does not establish a current condition.