Hearing loss decisions — 2017

The Board found that the Veteran's current left ear hearing loss did not meet VA criteria for a disability and was not related to his in-service noise exposure, thus denying service connection.

Your claims of service connection for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss have been dismissed as there is no case or controversy for the Board to adjudicate.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have current hearing loss disability in either ear for VA purposes, and thus denied service connection for right ear hearing loss. For left ear hearing loss, while there is conceded noise exposure during service, the evidence did not establish a nexus between the current hearing loss and service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining relevant medical records and scheduling a VA examination. The Veteran's claim will be readjudicated based on all evidence.

The Veteran's appeal of the issue of entitlement to service connection for right ear hearing loss has been withdrawn. The case is being remanded for a new VA audiological examination to reassess his left ear hearing loss disability.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining service personnel and treatment records from the Veteran's Mississippi Army National Guard membership. The issues of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss, anxiety disorder, sleep apnea, and psychosis for the purpose of establishing eligibility to treatment are being remanded.

The Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to March 10, 2006, for a 100 percent combined evaluation was denied as he did not have a pending claim at the time of his death.

The Veteran's unemployability is due to his service-connected disabilities, particularly PTSD and prostate cancer with urinary incontinence and erectile dysfunction. The Board has granted TDIU based on the combined effect of these conditions.

The Board found no evidence of a hearing loss disability in service or within one year post-service, and the preponderance of the evidence is against a finding that his current hearing loss is related to his service.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for left ear hearing loss as there is no competent evidence linking the disorder to his active military service. The VA examiner found that there was no substantial change in the Veteran's hearing after the incident in 1985 and no record of hearing loss in the left ear until 2002, which is more than 10 years after separation from service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have prevented him from securing and maintaining gainful employment since December 21, 2007.

The Board has remanded the case to refer the issue of an extraschedular rating for bilateral hearing loss to the Under Secretary for Benefits or the Director of the Compensation and Pension Service.

The Board has found that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the claim of entitlement to service connection for right ear hearing loss disability. The Veteran's right ear hearing loss disability is etiologically related to acoustic trauma sustained in active service, and therefore, the claim is granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral sensorineural hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his active service, including exposure to loud noise during combat in Vietnam. As a result, the claims for service connection have been granted.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to schedule a hearing before a Veterans Law Judge via video conference due to his request.

The Veteran's claim for an initial rating of 30 percent for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has been granted. The Veteran is currently rated at 10 percent for PTSD, but the Board finds that a higher rating of 30 percent is warranted based on his symptoms and impairment.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hearing loss disability does not meet or approximate the criteria for a compensable rating under VA's schedular evaluation criteria. The evidence of record does not support a higher rating.

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss is being remanded for a new VA examination to determine its etiology, as the previous opinion was based on incomplete information.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus are related to service, but his bilateral knee disorder is not. The claim for a bilateral knee disorder is denied.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran is competent to report experiencing ringing in his ears since service. Service connection was denied for bilateral hearing loss.