Hearing loss decisions — 2017

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and his employment throughout the relevant appeal period is considered substantial.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that these conditions are related to noise exposure in service.,Service connection was denied for an acquired psychiatric disorder other than anxiety disorder NOS, to include PTSD.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his active service.,Service connection for degenerative joint disease of the left knee, right flatfoot, and bilateral hearing loss is granted.

The Board found that the Veteran's left ear hearing loss did not have its onset during active service or within one year of discharge and is not otherwise related to active service. The right ear hearing loss disability has been manifested by a combination of auditory thresholds and speech recognition percentages which are productive of Level I hearing loss, but does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a VA medical examination and opinion to determine the impact of his service-connected disabilities on his ability to engage in substantially gainful employment. The claim will be readjudicated after this development.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed as he requested to withdraw his appeal regarding the initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss prior to February 15, 2015, and in excess of 30 percent thereafter.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right ear hearing loss disability and tinnitus are not related to service, as there is no evidence of a nexus between his current conditions and his in-service noise exposure. The preponderance of the evidence does not support a finding of service connection for either condition.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of right lower extremity neuropathy has been granted.,Service connection is now established for bilateral upper extremity diabetic neuropathy and tinnitus secondary to service-connected disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are due to noise exposure during active service, and thus service connection is granted for both conditions.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is found to be related to in-service acoustic trauma, and service connection for this condition is granted. The lumbar spine disability issue remains pending as the Board has not addressed it yet.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right ear hearing loss disability and tinnitus are service connected, but his left ear hearing loss disability is not.

The Veteran's appeals for a compensable rating for left ear hearing loss and service connection for right ear hearing loss have been dismissed as the Veteran's representative withdrew his appeal.

The Board finds that the Veteran has a current bilateral hearing loss disability for VA purposes and service connection is granted. The Veteran's STRs reflect he had pre-existing right ear hearing loss upon entrance into service, but no left ear hearing loss. Service connection is also granted for his lung/respiratory disability as secondary to asbestos exposure.

The Board has granted service connection for sleep apnea and reopened the claims for service connection for back disorder and right ear hearing loss. The Veteran's left ear hearing loss claim is remanded for additional development.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain new VA etiology opinions for the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. The current opinions are deemed inadequate due to factual inaccuracies and lack of discussion regarding threshold shifts in hearing during service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining records from the Veteran's Reserve service and providing medical opinions on various claims.

The Board has granted service connection for left ear hearing loss and denied service connection for right ear hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has been rated at 10 percent since April 2005. The Board finds that the current evidence does not support a higher rating.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to determine his ability to secure and maintain substantially gainful employment due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left ear hearing loss disability is service-connected, as it was aggravated by his military service. The right shoulder disability and chronic laryngitis/laryngopharyngeal reflux (claimed as sinus problems) are not service-connected.