Hearing loss decisions — 2017

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss disability is currently rated at 20 percent from June 21, 2016. The Board finds that the evidence does not support an initial compensable rating prior to June 21, 2016 or a rating in excess of 20 percent from that date.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to scheduling issues, and he was not able to attend the scheduled hearing. The case will be returned to the AOJ for rescheduling of a videoconference hearing.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevent him from obtaining and retaining substantially gainful employment, meeting the criteria for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including scheduling a VA audiological examination and obtaining relevant treatment records. The issues of entitlement to increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss and individual unemployability are also being addressed.

Your appeal is being remanded due to the failure to hold a hearing before the Board of Veterans' Appeals. You will be scheduled for a hearing at the RO, either in person or by video conference.

The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss has been dismissed due to his death.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current left ear hearing loss was incurred during active military service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board finds that the evidence is in equipoise as to whether the appellant's current bilateral hearing loss is causally related to noise exposure during his active service. As such, the claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is granted.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus did not manifest during service or within one year of separation, and thus denied service connection for these conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for a bilateral hearing loss disability, finding that the Veteran's current condition is at least as likely as not caused by exposure to acoustic trauma during his military service.

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss was previously rated at 10 percent, and the most recent VA examination in August 2011 confirmed this rating. The Veteran did not attend a scheduled September 2015 VA examination.

The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating of his bilateral hearing loss disability was granted, with a 10% evaluation effective from June 14, 2016. The claim for a compensable evaluation prior to that date remains pending.

The Board found that the Veteran's right ear hearing loss does not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation under VA rating criteria.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is not related to his military service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a higher (compensable) rating for bilateral hearing loss and granted a separate rating of 10 percent for psychiatric manifestations of hearing loss. The case is now remanded to consider an even higher rating for psychiatric manifestations.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is rated as noncompensable (0 percent) since September 8, 1999. The Board finds that the evidence does not support a finding of entitlement to an increased rating greater than 0 percent for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss throughout the appeal period.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is found to be etiologically related to his active service, and the Board grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss does not present an exceptional disability picture that requires an extraschedular evaluation, and thus denied the claim for an extraschedular rating.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to inadequate VA examination opinions and incomplete development of the record. Specifically, there are issues related to service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability and increased rating for migraine headaches.

The Board has dismissed the appeal of the claim for service connection for ischemic heart disease, as due to herbicide exposure. The Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability is not related to his military service. The August 2002 rating decision denying the Veteran's claim for service connection for a gunshot wound of the left wrist is final. No new and material evidence has been received to reopen the Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for a gunshot wound of the left wrist.