Hearing loss decisions — 2018

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his in-service noise exposure, and thus service connection is granted for these conditions.

The Veteran's claims for lumbar and cervical spine disabilities, as well as sleep apnea, seizure disorder, acquired psychiatric disability (including PTSD and depression), left leg disability, and right ear hearing loss have been denied due to lack of evidence establishing service connection.,Service connection has not been established for any of the conditions listed.

The Veteran is entitled to a TDIU from July 2012 due to the combined effect of multiple service-connected disabilities, including PTSD and ischemic heart disease, preventing him from maintaining substantially gainful employment.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the Veteran's claims for service connection of various disabilities, including back disability, bilateral knee disability, bilateral hip disability, right foot toe disability, peripheral neuropathy, depressive disorder, and bilateral hearing loss. The case is now remanded for further development.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus has been reopened due to the submission of new evidence showing a history of tinnitus dating back over 20 years.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for hearing loss remains denied as no new and material evidence was submitted.

The Veteran's service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are granted, as the evidence supports a finding that these conditions were incurred in service.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection on all issues except GERD and bilateral hearing loss has been withdrawn. The Board finds that the Veteran does not have a current disability of bilateral hearing loss, as his audiometric results do not meet VA criteria for such a disability. For GERD, the Veteran was provided with an opportunity for a VA examination but no opinion could be rendered without resorting to speculation.

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss disability is related to his military service and he meets the criteria for service connection. The issues of increased evaluations for lumbar spine degenerative arthritis and left ear hearing loss disability, as well as TDIU, are addressed in the REMAND portion of the decision.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of his bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. The case will be readjudicated after this.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. The claim for service connection for an eye condition is being remanded to the AOJ.

The Board has determined that service connection is granted for tinnitus, but not for bilateral hearing loss disability or depression. The Veteran's testimony and lay statements support his reports of symptoms during service and thereafter.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected hemorrhoids warrant a 10% evaluation since November 23, 1991. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is also service connected and warrants consideration under VA rating criteria.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is at least as likely as not related to his active service. The Board finds the evidence for and against the claim is at least in a state of equipoise and service connection for BHL is granted.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for a new examination to assess the current severity of his service-connected bilateral hearing loss, as he testified that it has worsened since the last examination in November 2012.

The Board has reopened the claim of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss and granted it, finding that new and material evidence has been received since the last final denial in February 2008.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities of PTSD, tinnitus, and left ear hearing loss result in unemployability due to their impact on his occupational functioning.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hearing loss is related to acoustic trauma in service and has granted service connection for this condition.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to a lack of evidence showing current disabilities, as well as failure to report for a scheduled VA examination.

The Board found that new and material evidence had been received to reopen the claim for service connection of bilateral hearing loss. However, it was determined that the Veteran did not have chronic symptoms of bilateral sensorineural hearing loss during service and there is no evidence linking his current condition to service.

The Board has remanded the claims due to the need for additional development, including obtaining updated medical records and examinations.