Hearing loss decisions — 2017

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus, finding that there is no evidence showing these conditions were present during or within one year after service. The Board also found that the contemporaneous medical records are more probative than remote statements regarding when the Veteran first noticed hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus but denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The Veteran's current tinnitus is found to be related to his military service, while his bilateral hearing loss is not considered to be related to his time in active duty.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was found to be more closely approximated by a 10 percent evaluation throughout the appeal period, with his April 2016 audiometric results being considered more indicative of his disability picture than those from July 2016. The Board granted an initial compensable evaluation for his bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has granted service connection for a respiratory disorder (allergic rhinitis/hay fever, sinusitis and asthma/asthmatic bronchitis) and hearing loss. The Veteran's respiratory disorder is found to have been aggravated by his military service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to incomplete records and need for further examination.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred in or aggravated by service. The Board finds that the current evidence does not support a finding of service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have current bilateral hearing loss or an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, and therefore service connection for these conditions is denied.

The Veteran's service connection for right ear hearing loss is granted. For diabetes mellitus, the rating prior to January 13, 2017 remains unchanged at 20 percent; however, a higher rating of 40 percent is granted since that date.

The VA reduced the disability rating for bilateral hearing loss from 10% to 0%, effective May 1, 2010. However, this reduction was not proper because it did not consider recent audiometric test results.

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings on all issues was denied. The Veteran is not entitled to a higher rating for PTSD, tinnitus, or the residuals of a stab wound to the abdomen with laparotomy and small bowel repair with scars as these conditions are already rated at their maximum levels under applicable VA regulations.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus and right ear hearing loss are service connected. However, his bilateral hearing loss does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hearing loss disability is service-connected as it was incurred during his period of honorable military service.

The Board has determined that the appellant's current bilateral hearing loss disability is related to noise exposure he experienced during active service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has denied all claims for service connection as there is no probative evidence of a current disability or link to active service.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus should be remanded due to a need for additional examination.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is service-connected, with a rating of 100% effective from the date of the decision.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss was denied as he did not meet the criteria for a hearing disability for VA purposes.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is found to be causally related to his exposure to acoustic trauma during service, and the Board grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that a VA examination is necessary to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's claimed bilateral hearing loss disability, as well as whether it is related to his active duty service. The appeal will be remanded for these actions.