Hearing loss decisions — 2018

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's left ear hearing loss disability, finding that it is attributable to his military service.

The Board has remanded the claims of bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their relationship to service. Updated VA treatment records are needed, as well as a new opinion from a VA audiologist.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is denied as there is no evidence of a current disability related to service, and the claim cannot be presumed due to noise exposure.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was evaluated as noncompensable, and the Board found that his hearing acuity did not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for alcohol and drug dependency, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia. The Veteran's claims of service connection for PTSD, lower back disability, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus have been reopened due to new evidence received since previous denials. However, the Board finds that there is no competent evidence linking these conditions to service or post-service treatment.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and development of medical records.

The Board has granted service connection for COPD and found that the Veteran's combined rating is at least 70%, meeting the criteria for a TDIU. The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including COPD, anxiety disorder, sinusitis, left hip strain, bilateral hearing loss, lumbosacral strain, and hiatal hernia, are deemed to preclude his participation in substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not shown to be related to service, and the Board finds that they did not manifest during or within a presumptive period. The low back disability was first noted decades after service.,Service connection for the Veteran's low back disability is denied as there is no evidence of an in-service injury or disease, and the preponderance of the evidence does not support a finding that any current low back disability is related to service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development and clarification of his service connection claims, particularly regarding periods of active duty service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, prostate disorder (including UTIs), and skin disorder were denied. The Board found no evidence of a chronic condition during service or an applicable presumptive period, and the weight of the evidence did not support a finding of continuity of symptomatology following service.,There is no medical opinion linking any current conditions to military service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and consideration of new VA audiogram records. The skin disorder claim requires a VA examination, while the hearing loss claim needs updated VA treatment records.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, back disability, neck disability, bilateral shoulder disability, and acquired psychiatric disability (PTSD) were denied. The hearing loss claim was granted with a compensable rating.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus did not have their onset during military service or are otherwise related to such service. The claim for service connection is denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been reopened, and the Board finds that both conditions are related to his military service. The claim for chronic headaches is remanded as it involves a secondary basis.

The Veteran's lung cancer is presumed to be due to herbicide exposure in service. His bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his military service.

For the entire rating period from May 27, 2014, the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability was manifested by level II hearing in both ears and did not meet or approximate criteria for a compensable (noncompensable) disability rating.

The Veteran's currently diagnosed bilateral hearing loss is related to his military service, and the Board affirms that he should be granted service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the Veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus. The claim is granted as both conditions are found to be related to in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's current diagnosis of bilateral sensorineural hearing loss is not related to his military service, as evidenced by the absence of a significant threshold shift between his entrance and exit exams. The Board finds that the Veteran did not have a hearing test during his exit exam, but this does not change the fact that he had normal hearing at both times.

The appellant's claim for payment of assistance in the purchase of an automobile and adaptive equipment is denied as she is not a Veteran or member of the Armed Services.,The appellant's claim for specially adapted housing allowance benefits has been granted with an effective date prior to September 18, 2014. Further development is needed to determine if any costs incurred by the Veteran before his death can be reimbursed.