Hearing loss decisions — 2017

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is not related to his military service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss is currently evaluated at 30 percent, and the Board finds that a higher evaluation is not warranted based on the evidence of record.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities are not shown to be of such severity as to preclude his participation in any substantially gainful employment, and the Board finds that the preponderance of the evidence is against a finding that he is precluded from all types of employment.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to incomplete medical opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's knee disabilities and hearing loss.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for diabetes mellitus and its residuals, residuals of a gunshot wound to the throat, and right ear hearing loss. The appeal was not reopened due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for bilateral sensorineural hearing loss prior to December 12, 2014 and a rating in excess of 10 percent thereafter has been denied by the Board.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including extraschedular consideration of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 for an undiagnosed gallbladder condition due to VA treatment, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between current disabilities and military service or VA care.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability was not incurred in or aggravated by active service, and may not be presumed to have been so incurred or aggravated.

The Board finds that the grant of service connection for bilateral hearing loss was not clearly erroneous and reinstates the original decision. The Veteran's tinnitus is related to in-service noise exposure.

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

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss is rated at 10 percent prior to April 13, 2017 and remains at 10 percent thereafter. The claim for a higher rating is denied.

The Board has determined that the evidence currently of record is sufficient to substantiate the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is etiologically related to his active duty service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened and are granted. The evidence received since the June 1996 rating decision is new and material, as it relates to unestablished facts necessary to substantiate his claims for tinnitus and chronic fatigue syndrome.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for vertigo/equilibrium and dizziness, as well as his claim for a higher rating for bilateral hearing loss. The evidence did not support a finding of current disability related to these conditions.

The Board has determined that the evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether the Veteran's tinnitus originated during service, and thus grants service connection for tinnitus. The issue of bilateral hearing loss remains pending.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to address the Veteran's claims for service connection, including obtaining updated medical records and providing addendum opinions from examiners who previously examined the Veteran.

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

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss was withdrawn prior to the Board's decision. The claims of service connection for tinnitus and PTSD have been granted.,Service connection has been established for tinnitus, with a determination that it is at least as likely as not related to in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has been rated at 30 percent since the initial grant of service connection, and no higher rating is warranted based on the evidence.