Hearing loss decisions — 2018

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for a medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's right ear hearing loss.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including back disorder, left knee disorder, right knee disorder, and bilateral hearing loss. The decision also includes a request for an initial compensable rating for TBI. Additional examinations are needed to determine if these conditions are related to military service.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is presumed to have been incurred in service due to noise exposure during active duty.

The Veteran's claim for eligibility in acquiring specially adapted housing or a special home adaptation grant is remanded due to the need for further examination and assessment of his service-connected disabilities, particularly those affecting his lower extremities.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, duodenal ulcer, hepatitis C, chronic liver disability (secondary to hepatitis C), diabetes mellitus (secondary to sleep apnea), and acquired psychiatric disability (PTSD and depression) have been dismissed.,Service connection has not been established for any of the conditions listed.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for hearing loss as there is no evidence of a current disability that meets VA criteria.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his in-service traumatic noise exposure, and thus grants service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is determined to be related to his active service, and the claim for service connection is granted.

The Board has decided to remand the claims of service connection for chronic otitis media, tinnitus, and bilateral hearing loss due to incomplete development. The Veteran is required to provide additional information about any outstanding VA treatment records and authorization to obtain such records.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is found to have started during his military service and granted service connection.

The Board has remanded the cases due to non-compliance with a previous directive and because of the inextricably intertwined nature of the hearing loss and tinnitus claims.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were denied as there was no evidence to support a service connection, with the VA examiner concluding that current hearing loss is more likely due to presbycusis (age-related hearing loss).

The Veteran was granted service connection for tinnitus and an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD and depressive disorder), but denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss.,Service connection was established for the Veteran's tinnitus based on his credible testimony of in-service noise exposure, despite not meeting VA criteria for a hearing loss disability.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable disability rating for bilateral hearing loss is remanded due to outstanding VA medical records and the need for an audiologist examination.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus based on continuity of symptoms since service, as the Veteran reported noticing these conditions during service and they have continued to worsen since separation.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss and service connection for migraine headaches and an acquired psychiatric disability were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of worsening in his hearing loss or a link between his migraines and tinnitus, nor could it establish a continuity of symptoms since service.

The Veteran's appeal for an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss has been dismissed. The Board also remanded the issue of his claim for a higher rating for lumbar degenerative disc disease (DDD).

The Veteran's PTSD symptoms have been rated at 70 percent for the entire period on appeal, and he is granted a TDIU effective from August 25, 2011. The issues of service connection for tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, and an increased rating for PTSD are remanded.

The Board has determined that the VA audiological opinion is inadequate and requires further examination to address the Veteran's hearing loss claims, including whether it was aggravated by service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability is related to his exposure to acoustic trauma during service and grants service connection for this condition.