Hearing loss decisions — 2017

The Board has decided to remand the case for additional development due to missing records and an addendum opinion from a VA examiner.

The Veteran's initial claim of an increased rating for ischemic heart disease was granted, with a current evaluation of 60 percent. Service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus was denied.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim and granted service connection for a balance disorder, to include BPPV, as secondary to his service-connected ear conditions.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are rated as 60% combined, meeting the schedular requirements for TDIU. The Board finds that his service-connected disabilities render him unemployable due to his inability to hear properly.

The Veteran's current right ear hearing loss is reasonably shown to be related to acoustic trauma during service, and the Board affirms that he meets the criteria for service connection.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is currently rated at 10 percent, and the Board finds that it does not warrant a higher rating.

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss is not service-connected, and his left ear hearing loss is currently rated at 20 percent. The claims are denied.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are currently rated at 50 percent, which is the maximum schedular rating available. The Board finds that the evidence does not support a finding of unemployability due to these conditions alone.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions do not prevent him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's death was not due to a service-connected disability. The claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death is denied, and the claim for VA burial benefits is also denied as it is not timely filed.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hearing acuity does not warrant a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is not shown to be causally or etiologically related to any disease, injury, or incident in service. Therefore, the claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss has been denied.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss warranted no more than a noncompensable evaluation based on the pertinent diagnostic criteria from the date of service connection.

The Board finds that the Veteran's left ear hearing loss disability is service connected as it manifested in service and has persisted.

The Board has dismissed the appeals of service connection for the right elbow and increased ratings for the neck. The Veteran's appeal of hearing loss is denied as his puretone thresholds do not meet VA criteria for a disability. The claims for increased ratings for the right shoulder and feet, as well as sinusitis with headaches, are remanded due to lack of proper procedural steps.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is related to his active duty service, and the Board finds in favor of granting service connection for this condition.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim of service connection for low back degenerative disk disease with right lower extremity radiculopathy and assigned a 10% initial rating. The hearing loss claim was withdrawn by the Veteran prior to decision.

The Board has determined that there are missing private and VA outpatient treatment records pertinent to the Veteran's claims. The case is REMANDED for obtaining these records.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development of his claims.,The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development of his claims.,The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to determine the nature and etiology of any current traumatic brain injury residuals, including headaches, memory impairment, poor sleep, head pain, and difficulty focusing.,The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain VA treatment records and Reserve service treatment records for additional development.,The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to determine the nature and etiology of any current skin disability of the feet, including whether it is related to his service-connected eczema.

The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 30 percent for ischemic heart disease has been granted, and his claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is being remanded for further development.