Hearing loss decisions — 2017

The Veteran's tinnitus was found to have begun during military service and is therefore granted service connection.

The Board has granted service connection for a lumbar spine disability, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus. The claim for left eye disability remains pending as it was not addressed in the decision.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently manifested by auditory acuity levels of level IV in the right ear and level IV in the left ear, which resulted in a 10% rating effective August 21, 2017.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional development, including obtaining SSA disability records and updated treatment records.

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

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and affording the Veteran with VA examinations to determine the current severity of her service-connected disabilities. The appeal is now pending before the AOJ.

The Veteran's appeal of service connection for tinnitus was withdrawn, and the claim for a compensatory rating for bilateral hearing loss is being remanded for further development.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, but denied a compensable rating for the Veteran's rib fracture. The Veteran is currently rated non-compensably disabled for his rib fracture.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right ear hearing loss and an initial compensable rating for left ear hearing loss, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current hearing loss disabilities and his military service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and cold injury residuals are being remanded due to inadequate VA examination and the need for additional medical opinions.

The Veteran's currently diagnosed bilateral hearing loss is likely the result of his active service, and the Board has granted service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's service-connected tinnitus is rated at 10 percent, which is the maximum allowed. The VA examiner found no impact of bilateral hearing loss on his activities of daily life and work. There is no current diagnosis related to his hearing loss.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied, including for ischemic heart disease presumed related to herbicide exposure during his service in Thailand. The left shoulder disorder was not found to be service-connected due to lack of evidence showing it was incurred or aggravated by service. Service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and erectile dysfunction was also denied. The Veteran's claim for TDIU was not addressed as the issue is related to a different claim.

The Board found that new and material evidence had not been submitted to reopen the Veteran's claim, and denied his claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss as there was no link between his current condition and military service.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is found to be causally related to in-service acoustic trauma, and service connection for this condition is granted.

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss is determined to be related to in-service noise exposure and service connection is granted.

The Veteran's bilateral sensorineural hearing loss is found to be related to in-service noise exposure, and the claim for service connection is granted.

The Veteran's appeal was denied as there is no evidence of a compensable disability rating for bilateral hearing loss prior to December 23, 2015 or a schedular rating in excess of 10 percent from that date.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for loss of vision, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus. The decision found that new evidence did not relate to an unestablished fact necessary to substantiate the claim for loss of vision. For hearing loss and tinnitus, the Board determined there was no in-service injury or disease, and the time gap between service and onset made it less likely than not that these conditions are related to service.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. This includes obtaining service treatment records, SSA records, and an addendum opinion from a VA examiner regarding the relationship between the Veteran's current conditions and his military noise exposure.