Hearing loss decisions — 2018

The Board has decided that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss claim requires additional development due to insufficient evidence regarding its etiology.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for right ear hearing loss and granted it on the merits, finding that the Veteran's current right ear hearing loss is related to his in-service noise exposure without hearing protection. The effective date of this decision will be determined after assigning a rating.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were denied due to lack of evidence showing a current disability. However, new evidence received since the August 2004 rating decision includes diagnoses of bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, raising a reasonable possibility of substantiating these claims.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the evidence is in equipoise as to whether these conditions are related to active service.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred or aggravated by service. The Board found no probative medical evidence linking the current disabilities to in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation based on the need for aid and attendance due to service-connected disabilities was denied as there is no evidence showing that his service-connected conditions necessitate regular aid and attendance.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was rated at 10 percent prior to July 3, 2014 and remains at 10 percent from July 3, 2014. The Board found that the evidence did not warrant a higher rating.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for PTSD was remanded.,Service connection for Degenerative Disc Disease of the Thoracic and Lumbar Spines was denied, as the evidence did not support a finding that the condition began during service or was caused by service.

The Board has determined that additional VA examinations are needed for the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and status post pilonidal cystectomy disabilities, and a remand is necessary to determine if any current disability is caused by in-service asbestos exposure. The claim of service connection for flu-like symptoms due to asbestos exposure will be remanded for further development.

The Veteran's appeals have been withdrawn due to his request for withdrawal of the appeal. As a result, there are no pending issues for further review.

The Veteran's TDIU claim was denied due to the evidence showing that he is able to secure and follow substantially gainful work. The RO granted service connection for additional disabilities during the pendency of this appeal, including prostate cancer residuals, erectile dysfunction, PTSD, mood disorder, diabetes, bilateral peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, tinnitus, and left ear hearing loss. The Veteran has not received a VA examination to determine the functional impact that these additional service-connected disabilities have on his employment.

The Board granted service connection for PTSD and assigned a 70 percent rating, effective from March 29, 2011 to July 31, 2012, and from May 21, 2014. The Veteran's TDIU based on PTSD was also granted during this period.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and records, particularly regarding his coronary artery disease and bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has granted service connection for the residuals of testicular cancer and restored service connection for right ear hearing loss, finding that there was no clear and unmistakable error in severing the original service connection.

The Board found that the Veteran's right and left ear hearing loss disabilities were not incurred in or aggravated by service, as they existed prior to service entry. The tinnitus was also not shown to be related to service.,For his left ankle degenerative joint disease, a VA examination is needed to assess the current range of motion and any additional functional loss due to pain during flare-ups.

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to his withdrawal of the right ear hearing loss issue. The remaining claims were denied as there is no legal basis for a higher rating.

The Board has decided that the VA examination is inadequate and needs to be supplemented with a new one or another VA examiner review of the claims file. The Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus need further evaluation.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are found to be related to his in-service exposure to significant acoustic trauma while serving as a U.S. Army infantryman in combat in Vietnam, and the claims for service connection are granted.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeal for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated medical records and scheduling VA examinations to assess the severity of his service-connected bilateral hearing loss and granulomas of the lungs.