Hearing loss decisions — 2017

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to obtain a new VA examination and opinion regarding his claims of bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and left knee disability. The examiner must consider the Veteran's lay statements about the onset and continuity of symptomatology since service.

The Board finds that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability is not related to his active military service and therefore denies the claim for service connection.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not prevent him from securing and following all forms of substantially gainful employment prior to December 27, 2013.

The Veteran's tinnitus is rated at 10% and his bilateral hearing loss was granted a 30% rating effective November 13, 2013. The appeal for an earlier effective date remains pending.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for vertigo or dizziness and a skin disability. The decision also noted that his hearing loss and tinnitus were less likely than not incurred in service.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that no new and material evidence was submitted to reopen the previously denied claims.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and increased evaluations for chronic fatigue syndrome were denied. The claim for increased evaluation of chronic fatigue syndrome was granted to a 20% rating effective from April 17, 2013, but not granted beyond that date.

The Board has determined that the evidence is in equipoise as to whether the Veteran's current right ear hearing loss disability is related to active service, and therefore grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to failure to obtain VA audiograms from January 2008 and December 2009, as well as other pertinent VA medical records. The case is also being remanded for further development of the tinnitus claim, psychiatric disorder claim, and hearing loss claim.

The Veteran's mood disorder, including PTSD and depression related to hearing loss, has been rated at 50 percent since January 13, 2010. The symptoms have resulted in reduced reliability and productivity but do not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied as his current hearing impairment does not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation under VA rating criteria.

The Board is remanding the case due to incomplete development of records, particularly from VA facilities where the Veteran received treatment between 1968 and 1980. The claims for right knee disability, left knee disability, and left ear hearing loss will be reconsidered after obtaining any outstanding records.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss prior to July 11, 2013, and a rating in excess of 10 percent thereafter was denied. The Board found that the disability picture is adequately described by the current schedular evaluation.

The Veteran's ankylosing spondylitis of the entire spine is rated at 100% from December 1, 2005 to February 28, 2011.,The Veteran's Crohn's disease is rated at 60% since June 18, 2003. The hearing loss disability ratings are discussed in detail below.

For the period from February 5, 2008 through March 24, 2010, the Veteran was found to be unemployable due to his service-connected disabilities, including PTSD and bilateral hearing loss disability. The Board granted a TDIU for this period.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is rated at 0 percent under the rating schedule, and an extraschedular evaluation was denied.,Service connection for erectile dysfunction as secondary to PTSD was granted. The Veteran's left hip femoral acetabular impingement was not found to be service-connected.,Service connection for a left hip disability (femoral acetabular impingement) was denied.

The Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is not service-connected as it did not manifest during or within one year after his military service and there is no medical evidence linking the condition to his active duty.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevent him from securing and maintaining substantially gainful employment, meeting the criteria for a total disability rating due to individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Veteran's appeal is being returned to the Board for additional development due to outstanding VA treatment records and a need to determine his employment status prior to April 25, 2012.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional examinations of his right knee disability and hearing loss, as the previous evaluations are deemed inadequate.