Hearing loss decisions — 2018

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and granted it, finding that pre-existing right ear hearing loss was aggravated during active service.

The Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea is found to be secondary to his service-connected PTSD. The Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of bilateral hearing loss or a neurological disorder, claimed as shaking hands.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is service-connected, but his bilateral hearing loss does not meet the criteria for service connection.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are found to be related to his active military service, with the Board granting service connection for both conditions.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is not related to his active service, including noise exposure. The claim for service connection was denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to service, and therefore denied both claims.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was evaluated as noncompensable prior to July 26, 2017 and increased to a 30 percent rating thereafter. The Board found that the evidence did not support an increase in ratings beyond these levels.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for left knee injury and left ear hearing loss, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including updating medical records and obtaining a VA examiner's opinion on the impact of the Veteran's service-connected disabilities on his ability to work. The TDIU claim will be adjudicated after these actions.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is found to be causally related to his service-connected tinnitus, and thus service connection for this condition is granted.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss, lumbosacral strain with radiculopathy, and related conditions were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating under the schedular criteria.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to obtain or follow substantially gainful employment prior to September 3, 2015.

The Veteran's claim regarding the earlier effective date for service connection of bilateral hearing loss is being remanded. Additionally, his attorney has raised a claim alleging clear and unmistakable error (CUE) in an August 1997 rating decision that denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is being remanded for additional development, including scheduling VA examinations to assess the impact of his dysthymia, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus on his employment.

The Board has granted the Veteran's request to reopen his claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The evidence does not support a finding that the Veteran's pre-existing hearing loss was aggravated by his military service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from obtaining or maintaining gainful employment, and his claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) is denied.

The Veteran's service connection claim for bladder cancer is granted due to presumed exposure at Camp Lejeune. Bilateral hearing loss and skin cancer claims are remanded.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal regarding the issues of compensable evaluation for bilateral hearing loss from April 17, 2009, to December 11, 2013, and evaluations in excess of 10 percent for bilateral hearing loss and seborrheic dermatitis.

The Board has determined that the March 2011 VA audiological examination is inadequate and remands the case for a supplemental VA opinion to address whether the Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his active duty service.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim of service connection for pulmonary tuberculosis and remanded the remaining issues to obtain additional VA treatment records, address the Veteran's assertions regarding his psychiatric disorder, hearing loss, tinnitus, and low back disability, and schedule appropriate examinations.