Hearing loss decisions — 2018

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current diagnoses are due to his military service. Service connection for sleep apnea is remanded as additional information about the Veteran's periods of ACDUTRA and INACDUTRA is needed.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been remanded due to the need for additional development, including a VA examination. The appeal of service connection for left and right ruptured/punctured eardrums is dismissed as the Veteran withdrew his claims during the June 2017 Board hearing.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding the etiology of these conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions have been denied as there is no evidence of current disabilities or a link to service.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete service records and will provide a supplemental statement of the case if any decision is adverse.

The Veteran's claim for an initial noncompensable disability rating for service-connected bilateral hearing loss was denied as his audiometric evaluations did not show any worse than Level I hearing impairment in each ear.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal regarding the issues of service connection for flat feet and higher initial ratings for thoracolumbar degenerative arthritis with IVDS, allergic rhinitis, right lower extremity radiculopathy, bilateral hearing loss, and status post right thumb fracture.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is rated as noncompensable, with the VA examiner finding that his hearing impairment does not warrant a higher rating.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and scheduling the Veteran for a hearing loss and tinnitus examination as well as a PTSD examination.

The Board has decided that the VA examination provided in February 2012 did not adequately address the Veteran's statements about his in-service exposure to noise and difficulty hearing, and thus remanded for further development.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss is currently evaluated as 10 percent disabling. The Board finds that the evidence does not support a higher rating.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable disability rating for service-connected bilateral hearing loss was denied as his audiometric evaluations consistently showed Level II hearing impairment, which corresponds to a noncompensable disability rating.

The Veteran's claims for effective dates earlier than November 19, 2012 for service connection of bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been granted. The effective date for hearing loss is September 16, 1999, and the effective date for tinnitus is April 23, 2001.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were incurred in service, granting service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's initial claim for a higher rating for bilateral hearing loss prior to September 24, 2016, and in excess of 90 percent thereafter was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for ratings in excess of 10 percent prior to September 24, 2016, and in excess of 90 percent thereafter.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to incomplete information and need for a comprehensive examination of the Veteran's employment capacity given his service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, as well as a rating in excess of 40 percent for his degenerative disc disease with intervertebral disc syndrome and chronic lumbar strain. The effective date for TDIU was established based on the Veteran's last day of work prior to retirement.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's statements and those of his friends establish continuity of symptoms since active service.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that the Veteran did not have hearing loss during his active duty service and that there was no evidence of chronic hearing loss dating back to service. The examiner concluded that the current sensorineural hearing loss is not related to the Veteran's in-service noise exposure.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's reports of loud noise exposure during active duty are credible and establishing chronicity of the condition. Service connection for bilateral hearing loss was denied as there is no evidence of in-service aggravation.