Hearing loss decisions — 2017

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations of tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, and a scar have been denied as there is no evidence to support ratings in excess of the current noncompensable evaluations.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to in-service noise exposure, resolving reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there was no evidence of aggravation of pre-existing conditions during service and that his current symptoms were not caused by military noise exposure.

The Veteran's claims for higher ratings for bilateral hearing loss and unspecified depressive disorder, as well as his claim to reopen a service connection claim for vertigo, are being remanded due to the need for additional development. The TDIU issue is also being remanded in conjunction with these other claims.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals regarding the issues of entitlement to an initial, compensable disability rating for a right knee scar; entitlement to service connection for residuals, status post right partial Achilles tear; and entitlement to service connection for residuals of bilateral eye injuries.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to service, and the Board has granted service connection for both conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is granted in full. His service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to maintain substantially gainful employment, and his bilateral hearing loss rating has been restored from 60 percent to 40 percent effective June 2, 2011. The claim of entitlement to service connection for tinnitus was withdrawn by the Veteran's representative.

The Board found that the Veteran's muscular dystrophy was not related to his active duty service and denied his claim for service connection. The issue of an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss is remanded.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus, bilateral knee conditions (left and right), left ankle condition, and hypertension are all service-connected based on direct evidence.

The Veteran's hearing acuity has not warranted a compensable rating, and his PTSD did not result in total social impairment during the appeal period.,PTSD symptoms have resulted in unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.

The Board finds that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are likely related to his in-service noise exposure, resulting in service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability was manifested by hearing acuity no worse than Level III in the right ear and Level III in the left ear, resulting in a noncompensable disability rating. The Board denied an initial compensable disability rating for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's left ear hearing loss has been rated as noncompensable since July 2010. The Board found that the evidence did not meet criteria for a compensable rating.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher disability rating for his bilateral sensorineural hearing loss was denied by the Board. The VA examiner found that the Veteran's hearing impairment, at worst, met Level IV and V criteria in each ear, resulting in a 10% disability evaluation under Diagnostic Code 6100.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for a right knee disorder, left ear hearing loss, and tinnitus due to additional development being required.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for ischemic heart disease and initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss were denied. The Veteran was granted increased ratings of 50% for PTSD with dysthymia prior to March 13, 2008, and 70% thereafter. He was also granted a TDIU.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left ear hearing loss does not warrant a compensable rating, as his puretone thresholds and speech recognition scores do not meet the criteria for any higher evaluation under VA's rating schedule.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable evaluation for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss and chronic nonsuppurative otitis media was denied by the Board. The evidence did not support an increased rating under any applicable diagnostic codes.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to inadequate previous examinations and incomplete medical records. The Veteran's hearing loss is being evaluated again by a VA examiner.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral sensorineural hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his military service, with current evidence showing a nexus between in-service noise exposure and these conditions. As such, both claims for service connection have been granted.