Hearing loss decisions — 2017

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining an addendum opinion from a suitably qualified examiner to discuss the nature and etiology of the Veteran's hearing condition and opine whether it is related to his military service.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral elbow disability, diagnosed as lateral epicondylitis, is not etiologically related to service. The examiner noted no complaints of elbow problems during active duty and attributed the current condition to overuse in a civilian job.,There is insufficient evidence to establish a link between the Veteran's hearing loss and military service.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied by the Board, as his hearing impairment did not meet the criteria for a higher evaluation under VA's Schedule for Rating Disabilities.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability has not warranted a compensable rating for the entire period on appeal. The claims for higher evaluations of his service-connected left foot plantar fasciitis, degenerative arthritis of the left hip with thigh impairment and pain, and degenerative arthritis of the left hip with limitation of flexion have been denied.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to insufficient evidence regarding the etiology of his sinusitis, bronchitis, and low back disabilities. The hearing loss claim is also being remanded for a new VA examination.

The Board found no evidence of current hearing loss disability for VA purposes and concluded that the Veteran's left ear hearing loss was not incurred in or aggravated by service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, when evaluated in association with his educational attainment and occupational experience, do not preclude substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including VA examinations to address his claims of service connection and rating for various disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's death was caused by his service-connected conditions, including type II diabetes mellitus and ischemic heart disease. As a result, the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death is granted.

The Board found that the Veteran's current right ear hearing loss is not related to service, as there was no evidence of a significant threshold shift during service and his hearing was normal upon discharge.

The Board has granted the Veteran's service connection claim for left ear hearing loss. For his PTSD, the Board finds that additional development is needed as there was no recent VA examination to evaluate the severity of his disability.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a left knee disability, bilateral hearing loss, and an acquired psychiatric disorder. The decision found no evidence of a direct relationship between these conditions and service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are service-connected as they are related to his military service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities alone do not render him incapable of securing and following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board found that the Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss disability is manifested by pure tone thresholds in four frequencies from 1000 to 4000 Hertz, averaging no more than 36 decibels in the right ear and no more than 41 decibels in the left ear. This corresponds to Level I hearing in both ears, warranting a noncompensable (zero percent) evaluation under VA's rating schedule.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's TDIU claim due to additional development required, including translation of SSA records and referral to the Director of Compensation Service for an extraschedular evaluation.

The Board has granted service connection for hearing loss in the right ear. The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for hearing loss in the left ear is remanded for further development.

The Veteran seeks service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus, which he contends are the result of acoustic trauma during service. The VA examiner concluded that the claimed hearing loss and tinnitus were not related to service due to a lack of typical 'noise notch' pattern in audiograms from service.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss is manifested by level IV hearing acuity in both ears, and his coronary artery disease does not meet the criteria for a higher evaluation. The RO has granted initial evaluations for these conditions.

The Board dismissed the appeal due to the appellant's withdrawal of all appeals prior to a decision being made.