Hearing loss decisions — 2017

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent disabling, effective October 10, 2007. He also received a TDIU rating.

The Board finds that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is related to his in-service noise exposure and acoustic trauma, and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not meet the criteria for service connection for left ear hearing loss, acute urethritis, bilateral ear disability, nervous disorder, or dental disorder.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss has been rated as noncompensable since September 29, 2011. The VA audiologists found that the Veteran had no worse than Level I hearing loss in both ears and did not have an exceptional pattern of hearing loss at any time during the appeal period.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment, warranting a TDIU.

The Board found that the Veteran's left ear hearing loss is not related to his military service and denied his claim.

The Board finds that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is service-connected, but there is no evidence of tinnitus during or after service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred or aggravated by his active military service, including conceded in-service noise exposure. The VA examiner concluded that the current conditions are less likely as not related to service.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected bilateral sensorineural hearing loss is being remanded due to the need for a new VA audiogram examination.

The Board found that the Veteran's preexisting left ear hearing loss disability did not worsen during service and denied his claim for service connection. The Board also found no right ear hearing loss disability or tinnitus related to service.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and chronic tinnitus were not incurred in or aggravated by service, as there was no evidence of a nexus between his current conditions and his military service. The Board also noted that the Veteran did not have a hearing loss disability for VA purposes at any time.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss disability is manifested by no more than level I hearing loss in both ears, with no significant effect on employment or activities of daily living. The Board finds that the criteria for an initial compensable rating have not been met.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is not related to her active duty service and denied her claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that further development is needed, including obtaining new VA examinations and retrieving any outstanding medical treatment records. The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for left ear hearing loss, service connection for right ear hearing loss and tinnitus of the right ear, and service connection for a bilateral knee disability are being remanded.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and chronic fatigue syndrome were denied. The issues of initial ratings for maxillary sinusitis, tension-type headaches, and PTSD, major depressive disorder and obsessive compulsive disorder were also addressed but the disposition is unknown as the appeal was not about service connection at all.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was initially rated as noncompensable prior to October 29, 2012. From October 29, 2012 to August 7, 2014, the rating was increased to 20 percent and from August 7, 2014, it was further increased to 30 percent. The effective date for these ratings is January 8, 2008.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for his bilateral hearing loss is denied as of September 21, 2015.,The appeals for earlier effective dates for TDIU and SMC at the housebound rate are also denied.

The Board has granted service connection for a low back disability and bilateral hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's current disabilities are attributable to his active service.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to insufficient rationale in the previous opinion regarding whether the Veteran's bilateral tinnitus is caused by his service-connected bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability and bilateral hearing loss are rated at the minimum schedular levels. The Board denied extraschedular consideration for the lumbar spine disability, finding that it does not present such an exceptional or unusual disability picture as to render the regular schedular standards inadequate. For TDIU, the Veteran did not meet the percentage requirements under 38 C.F.R. § 4.16(a).