Hearing loss decisions — 2018

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current disabilities are related to his in-service acoustic trauma.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability, tinnitus, and left knee disability. The claims of service connection for back disability, neck disability, and right knee disability are denied.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for bilateral shoulder condition and sleep apnea. Service connection for bilateral hearing loss is granted.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral hip injury, left leg numbness and burning, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus due to a lack of VA examination. The Veteran asserts that these conditions are related to service, including an in-service automobile accident.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current disabilities are due to in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a skin condition was denied as new and material evidence had not been submitted to reopen the claim.,Service connection for hypertension, presumed due to exposure to herbicides in Vietnam, was also denied.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for right ear hearing loss has been denied as she does not currently have a current disability. The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for left ear hearing loss is remanded due to the need for issuance of a statement of the case.

The Veteran's application to reopen the claim of service connection for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and erectile dysfunction (ED) and urinary incontinence is granted.,The Veteran's applications to reopen the claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are denied.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is rated at 30 percent prior to February 15, 2018 and at 40 percent from that date. The appeal for increases in ratings or TDIU was denied as the evidence does not show his service-connected disability renders him unemployable.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for service connection and higher initial ratings for bilateral hearing loss, bilateral eye condition, alcohol dependence, left shoulder dislocation, and PTSD. The appeal for a higher initial rating in excess of 10 percent for an acquired psychiatric disorder is remanded.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss are at least as likely as not related to service, granting service connection for both conditions.

The Board has determined that the evidence is at least in equipoise regarding whether the Veteran's diagnosed bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are etiologically related to acoustic trauma sustained during active service. As a result, the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been granted.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal of the claim for an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss disability.

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

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims of service connection for back disability and bilateral hearing loss disability, as new and material evidence was received. The claims are granted to this extent.

The Veteran's right shoulder strain is granted service connection as it has been continuous since service.,Service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability is denied due to lack of current evidence meeting VA criteria for a disability.,Service connection for tinnitus is granted based on continuity of symptoms since service.

The Board has determined that the evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are etiologically related to his in-service noise exposure, leading to a grant of service connection for both conditions.

The Veteran's appeals have been withdrawn and the claims of entitlement to service connection for various conditions, as well as initial rating claims, are dismissed.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was not incurred or aggravated by active service, as there is no evidence of an increase in disability during service and the preexisting condition did not undergo aggravation.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for an initial increased rating for bilateral hearing loss, currently noncompensable.