Hearing loss decisions — 2017

The Veteran's service-connected right hip disability is currently rated as 10 percent disabling. The RO has granted the requested increased rating.

The Board has granted service connection for left ear hearing loss and an effective date of May 15, 2011 for the grant of service connection for tinnitus. The Veteran's claim for earlier effective dates is denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's preexisting bilateral hearing loss did not permanently worsen during active service, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has not met the criteria for a higher rating at any time during the appeal period.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and Vocational Rehabilitation and Counseling records. The Veteran's TDIU claim will be referred to the Director of Compensation for an opinion regarding extraschedular consideration.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was rated at a noncompensable level prior to June 21, 2016. From that date until the January 2017 audiogram results, he received a 10% rating for his condition. The Board found no evidence of entitlement to higher ratings.

The Veteran is entitled to a TDIU on an extraschedular basis since October 8, 1999 due to his service-connected lumbar spine disability.

The Board has decided to remand the case for additional development, including a VA examination and consideration of the Veteran's lay statements regarding his hearing loss.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has not met the criteria for a compensable rating from May 16, 2011 to September 28, 2015 and does not warrant an increased rating since September 29, 2015.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD is granted as there is credible supporting evidence that corroborates his lay assertions of in-service traumatic events. The Veteran has a current diagnosis of PTSD and it is related to an event in service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his military service, with the preponderance of evidence supporting these claims. As a result, both conditions have been granted service connection.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development regarding his exposure to herbicides and his assertions of setting foot in Vietnam. He is also required to undergo a VA examination for right ear hearing loss.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss did not manifest within one year from service discharge and is not causally or etiologically related to service. The preponderance of evidence established that his hearing loss was normal at separation, and he did not have a disability during service.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn prior to the Board making a decision.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent disabling, effective December 14, 2010. The Board granted a TDIU rating from that date.

The Veteran's chronic kidney disease is found to be related to his presumed exposure to herbicide agents during service in the Republic of Vietnam.,The Veteran's PTSD has been found to cause him to be unable to obtain and sustain a substantially gainful occupation, warranting TDIU benefits since September 29, 2010.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left ear hearing loss disability is related to his service, but his diabetes mellitus was not present during or within one year after service and is not linked to service.

The Board has granted service connection for a left ear hearing loss disability, but denied the initial compensable rating for right ear hearing loss disability. The Veteran's claim is remanded to obtain additional medical records and schedule him for an audiological examination.

The Board has determined that additional development is necessary to determine the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability and to obtain any outstanding medical records. The case will be remanded for these purposes.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, bilateral hearing loss disability, and tinnitus, render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.