Hearing loss decisions — 2018

The Board dismissed the Veteran's appeals for service connection of a left shoulder disorder and bilateral hearing loss due to his withdrawal during the December 2017 hearing. The Board found no evidence of in-service injury or disease related to these conditions, and concluded that any pre-existing hearing loss did not worsen during service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to service, but has granted service connection for tinnitus due to credible evidence of its occurrence during service.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's conditions are related to his active military service. The skin cancer claim is remanded due to lack of STRs and incomplete information regarding radiation exposure.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and an acquired psychiatric disorder (to include PTSD) due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss and earlier effective dates for service connection of tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss is remanded due to incomplete records.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is being remanded due to the need for a new VA opinion regarding the etiology of his current hearing loss.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and PTSD due to a lack of current disability diagnoses. The evidence does not support a finding that the Veteran had these conditions during or in proximity to his active duty.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed as he withdrew his appeal via a written statement.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's callouses/skin condition of his feet are related to service and grants service connection for this condition. The issues of service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus are remanded.

The Board denied service connection for right ear hearing loss and found that the Veteran's left ear hearing loss disability warranted a noncompensable initial rating.

The Veteran's current hearing loss is related to noise exposure during service, and the Board finds that this condition meets the criteria for service connection. The issue of gastroenteritis remains pending as a new medical opinion is needed.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to address his claims of service connection for various conditions, including bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. The case will be returned to the Board for further appellate consideration if necessary.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, hearing loss, back condition, bilateral radiculopathy, and bladder dysfunction, render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. Therefore, the Board grants TDIU.

The Board found no evidence of a causal relationship between the Veteran's current hearing loss and tinnitus disabilities and his military service, as there was no in-service noise exposure or complaints. The earliest clinical evidence of these conditions is many years after separation from service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for COPD and bilateral hearing loss, but granted a noncompensable rating for his service-connected bilateral photophobia.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a contemporaneous examination to assess his current level of bilateral hearing loss impairment.

The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable disability rating for bilateral hearing loss is denied as the evidence does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.

The Veteran experienced acoustic trauma and hearing loss symptoms in service, which have persisted. He has a current diagnosis of bilateral sensorineural hearing loss for VA purposes. The Board finds that the criteria for service connection are met.

The Board has decided to remand the case for additional examination and opinion, as the current rationale provided by the VA examiner does not sufficiently address all relevant factors.

The Veteran's claims for reopening his claim of service connection for tinea pedis and for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for tinnitus were denied. The Board found that new and material evidence had not been received to reopen the tinea pedis claim, and that an earlier effective date was not warranted as a matter of law.