Hearing loss decisions — 2017

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, bilateral lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, and hearing loss, do not prevent him from securing and maintaining substantially gainful employment prior to June 29, 2016.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss did not meet or approximate the criteria for a compensable rating at any point during the appeal period.

The Veteran's initial noncompensable rating for service-connected bilateral hearing loss is denied as his audiometric test results do not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation.

The Veteran's tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss were found to be caused by in-service exposure to excessive noise. Service connection was granted for these conditions.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to obtain the Veteran's service treatment records and to schedule him for appropriate VA examinations. The appeal will be remanded to allow for these actions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's diagnosed conditions, including bilateral hearing loss and various forms of arthritis, are related to service. The appeal is granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus are attributable to his active service, thus granting service connection for both conditions.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for right and left ear hearing loss, as well as tinnitus, were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating than the current 50% for each ear of hearing loss and 10% for tinnitus.

The Board has found that the Veteran's tinnitus is related to his active service and granted service connection for this condition. The decision on bilateral hearing loss disability will be remanded as it requires additional development.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss are related to his military service, resolving doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss warrants a 10% rating as of March 2012, based on his puretone threshold averages and speech discrimination scores.

The Board finds that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to service noise exposure, as there is no evidence of an onset in service or within a reasonable time after active duty. The preponderance of the evidence supports denial of these claims.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is found to be etiologically related to the acoustic trauma he sustained in active service, and thus granted service connection.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently evaluated as noncompensable, with no more than Level IV hearing acuity in the right ear and Level II hearing acuity in the left ear.,The Veteran's left shoulder disability is currently evaluated as 10 percent disabling, with range of motion limited to 120 degrees of flexion and abduction.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have a current hearing disability as defined by VA regulations, and thus service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability was reduced from a 20% rating to a 0% rating effective March 1, 2012 due to improvement in his hearing acuity.

The Board finds that the Veteran has established service connection for tinnitus due to noise exposure during active duty, but there is no evidence of hearing loss in service or a current disability. The Veteran's hearing loss claim cannot be granted as it lacks a nexus to his military service.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn, and the issues of a higher rating for bilateral hearing loss and service connection for rheumatoid arthritis have been dismissed.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has been rated at 10 percent since March 2014, and the RO denied an increased rating.,The Veteran's sleep apnea associated with diabetes mellitus type II was not found to warrant a higher than 50 percent disability rating.

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