Hearing loss decisions — 2017

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability did not manifest in-service or for many years thereafter and is not related to service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination to determine the etiology of his hearing loss.

The Veteran's lumbar and cervical spine conditions are found to have been aggravated by service, warranting service connection.,Bilateral hearing loss is not supported by the evidence of record.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not combine to render him unable to obtain and retain substantially gainful employment, as his combined rating is only 60 percent.

The Veteran's left ear disability, including chronic otitis media with perforated eardrum and hearing loss, was rated as 10 percent for the period from July 5, 2010 through February 24, 2011. After this date, his condition did not meet criteria for a higher rating under applicable diagnostic codes.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining a clarifying opinion from the VA examiner and scheduling him for an audiological examination to determine the current severity of his bilateral hearing loss disability.

The Veteran is found to be unemployable due to service-connected bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, which prevent him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is related to his military service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Board finds that the criteria for a compensable rating for left ear hearing loss have not been met, and therefore, the claim is denied.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation from November 1, 2005 forward. The Board granted TDIU effective November 1, 2005.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has been rated as 10 percent disabling since June 26, 2015. The Board found that the evidence did not meet criteria for a higher rating at any point.

The Veteran's prostate cancer is granted service connection on the basis of Agent Orange exposure. The claim for bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus was denied as there was no evidence of a current diagnosis or in-service exposure.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left ear hearing loss, gastritis, a healed scar of the left eyebrow, and PTSD. The issues related to PTSD were remanded due to disagreement with the initial rating.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is related to in-service noise exposure, and thus service connection for this condition is granted.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for headache disorder and bilateral hearing loss, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to his active service. The examiner noted that the Veteran did not have a current disability for VA purposes regarding his bilateral hearing loss.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus did not manifest within one year of separation from service, and thus could not be presumed to have been incurred therein. The VA examiners concluded that there was no causal relationship between the Veteran's in-service noise exposure and his current disabilities.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was rated at 50 percent effective July 5, 2016.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to determine his employability due to service-connected disabilities from April 5, 2013 to present.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss is currently rated at 50 percent, effective March 17, 2016. The Board finds that the evidence does not support a higher rating prior to this date.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and a skin rash to include as due to Agent Orange exposure. The effective date of these decisions is not addressed in this decision.,Service connection for a right knee disability secondary to a left knee disability remains pending, but an earlier effective date prior to October 25, 2007, for the grant of service connection for a left knee disability has been denied.