Hearing loss decisions — 2017

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his active service, with reasonable doubt resolved in favor of the Veteran. As such, both conditions have been granted service connection.

The Veteran seeks compensation for additional disability of the left ear (hearing loss) and heart (mitral valve replacement), resulting from VA treatment. The Board finds that the mitral valve replacement is an additional disability, but not coronary artery disease.,Regarding hearing loss, there is no evidence to support a finding that it was caused by the January 2008 left ear surgery.

The Board finds the preponderance of the evidence does not support a compensable disability rating for the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran has been granted service connection for a left shoulder disability and hearing loss of the left ear.,Service connection is established for these conditions as they are considered direct service connections.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are causally related to service, granting his claims for these disabilities.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude substantially gainful employment.

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

The Veteran's claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus was denied as there is no evidence of in-service exposure to herbicide agents and the condition did not manifest during or within one year after service. The Veteran's TDIU claim was also denied due to lack of sufficient additional service-connected disability to bring his combined rating to 70 percent or more.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability was found to not warrant a compensable rating prior to July 24, 2014 and not in excess of 10 percent from that date. The Board concluded the schedular criteria adequately capture the Veteran's symptoms.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, as well as her claims for service connection for bilateral knee disabilities, stroke, PTSD, depression, and cause of death. The Board found that no earlier effective date was warranted due to lack of evidence showing entitlement prior to February 23, 2011.

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

The Veteran's PTSD and hearing loss have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, resulting in the grant of TDIU.

The Board found that the Veteran's right ear hearing loss did not manifest during or as a result of active military service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevent him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied. A 10 percent rating is granted for the Veteran's left ring finger disability, considering it together with his left thumb.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is as likely as not related to his active service, and therefore grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for the VA to obtain his treatment records from the Beaumont VA Outpatient Clinic and schedule him for a new examination. The rating assigned or effective date will be determined after this additional development.

The Board has determined that the issue of service connection for right ear hearing loss has been rendered moot due to a May 2012 rating decision granting this condition. As such, the appeal is dismissed.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current tinnitus is at least in equipoise with her in-service noise exposure. Service connection for bilateral hearing loss was denied as there is no evidence of a current disability.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus do not render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.