Hearing loss decisions — 2017

The Board has granted service connection for a skin disorder, diagnosed as prurigo nodularis and lichen simplex chronicus, and bilateral hearing loss. These conditions are deemed to have had their onset during the Veteran's active duty in Vietnam.

The Veteran's tinnitus is found to be related to service, and the Board grants service connection. The remaining issues are remanded for additional development.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right lateral epicondylitis (elbow disability), right shoulder rotator cuff disability, and a right ankle disability. The Veteran's current disabilities are found to be unrelated to his military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including left ear hearing loss, a back disorder, bilateral upper and lower extremity numbness, chronic migraines, anxiety and depressive disorders, and bilateral hip and knee disorders. The evidence did not support a finding of in-service incurrence or continuity of symptomatology.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his military service, as there is no evidence of in-service noise exposure or continuity of symptoms since service. The preponderance of the evidence does not support a finding that the Veteran's current hearing loss or tinnitus were incurred during service.

The Board found that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, chronic sinusitis and headaches, right knee disorder, or left knee disorder.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has been rated as noncompensable since the effective date of service connection. The VA and private audiometry results consistently show auditory acuity levels no worse than Level I in both ears, which corresponds to a zero percent (noncompensable) rating.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to obtain or maintain a substantially gainful occupation, warranting TDIU benefits.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for his right knee, left knee, and left ankle disabilities as secondary to a service-connected disability. The claim for service connection for a left ear hearing loss disability is also denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus are etiologically related to in-service acoustic trauma, and thus service connection is granted for these conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the appellant's current conditions are related to his exposure to acoustic trauma during his period of active duty training (ACDUTRA).

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD, bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have rendered him unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment due to his disabilities.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has been evaluated as noncompensable throughout the appeal period, with pure tone thresholds and speech recognition scores indicating Level I or II hearing loss in both ears. The Board finds that a compensable rating is not warranted.

The Veteran's currently diagnosed bilateral hearing loss disability had its onset during his period of active service and is etiologically related to his in-service exposure to hazardous noise levels, meeting the criteria for service connection.

The Board has determined that the appellant does not have qualifying federalized service, and therefore cannot establish service connection for his claimed bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, or low back disorder.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for squamous cell carcinoma, bilateral hearing loss, and bilateral tinnitus due to a lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss is denied as there is no effective date earlier than June 26, 2012.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and found that the Veteran's assertions of in-service noise exposure are credible. The claim for bilateral hearing loss is remanded as it may be proximately due to or aggravated by the service-connected tinnitus.

The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss was denied as the evidence did not support a higher rating prior to February 11, 2012 and after that date he is already in receipt of a 50% rating.

The Board has determined that the effective date for the grant of service connection for tinnitus should be February 25, 2010. The Veteran's claim for hearing loss encompassed a claim for tinnitus at the time it was filed in February 2010. Service connection is granted for bilateral hearing loss as the evidence is in equipoise on whether it is etiologically related to service.