Hearing loss decisions — 2018

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is found to be related to his in-service noise exposure, and the Board grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the conditions began during active duty service due to exposure to loud noise without protective gear.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently rated as noncompensable, and his tinnitus is rated at the maximum schedular rating of 10 percent. The appeal for service connection for PTSD has been remanded due to unverified stressors.,Service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder (PTSD) will be granted if verified stressors are found.

The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for his bilateral hearing loss disability is denied on a schedular and extraschedular basis. The Veteran's PTSD with depressive disorder has been rated at 70 percent since June 15, 2017, and the appeal for higher ratings remains pending.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. The Veteran's heart condition is being remanded due to the need to determine if he was exposed to herbicide agents or contaminants, and a VA examination will be scheduled to assess the etiology of his stroke.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are granted service connection, while the claim for an increased rating for lumbar degenerative disc disease is remanded.

The Board denied service connection for a bilateral hearing loss disability as there was no evidence of in-service noise exposure or chronic hearing loss, and the Veteran's current hearing loss is not related to his military service.

The Veteran's initial hearing loss rating was increased to 10 percent from August 22, 2013. The Board has ordered the case remanded for obtaining audiogram results and for providing the Veteran with an opportunity to submit records from a private audiologist.

The Board has determined that the VA audiological examination is inadequate and a new one must be conducted to determine if the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is related to service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have disabling left ear hearing loss for VA purposes and denied service connection for this condition. The right ear hearing loss claim is remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding its etiology during service. Increased ratings for left knee and left hip disabilities are also remanded as additional examinations are needed in accordance with Correia v. McDonald.

The Veteran's service connection claims for right ear hearing loss and tinnitus are granted. The rating for left ear hearing loss is remanded due to its inextricably intertwined nature with the right ear hearing loss.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are granted as service connected. The Board found that the Veteran had noise exposure during service, which is considered a direct link to his current conditions.

Service connection is granted for left ear sensorineural hearing loss, but the right ear hearing loss case is remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for hearing loss, finding that there is no evidence to support a link between his in-service noise exposure and current hearing loss.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD was granted. The appeal for a compensable initial disability rating for bilateral hearing loss was dismissed due to the Veteran withdrawing his appeal.

The Veteran's service connection claims for hearing loss and tinnitus are being remanded due to the need for additional medical records.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and recurrent tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's conditions are at least as likely as not related to in-service noise exposure and acoustic trauma.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss is remanded due to the lack of recent VA examination and incomplete medical records.

The Veteran's appeal of the issue of entitlement to service connection for hypertension has been dismissed due to his request for withdrawal prior to the promulgation of a decision.