Hearing loss decisions — 2018

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is related to his active duty service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining outstanding treatment records and affording her with VA examinations.

The Board finds that the evidence is in equipoise as to whether the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability is related to service exposure to noise. As a result, the claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is granted.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals on the issues of service connection for a gastrointestinal disability and bilateral hearing loss. The psychiatric disorder claim is being remanded.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including verification of all periods of service and a supplemental medical opinion.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current hearing loss disability for VA purposes and therefore cannot establish service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The claim is denied.

The Veteran's claim for an initial rating of 30 percent for bilateral sensorineural hearing loss before May 24, 2016, and a higher rating thereafter was denied as the evidence did not support such ratings.

The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss. The claim will be returned for further development and consideration.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has been rated as 70 percent disabling for the entire rating period on appeal. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating, and thus denied his claim.

The Veteran's initial claim for an increased rating for service-connected bilateral hearing loss was denied as his current disability level does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's preexisting left ear hearing loss was not aggravated during active service and therefore, denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied as his hearing impairment did not warrant a higher disability rating at any point during the appeal period.

The Board has remanded the case due to a need for further development regarding the Veteran's claim of bilateral hearing loss disability secondary to service-connected tinnitus.

The Veteran has withdrawn their appeal, thus the case is dismissed.

The Veteran's VR&E program was terminated because his service-connected hearing loss did not prevent him from obtaining suitable employment as an adjunct professor, and he has since been employed in this capacity. The Board finds that the VR&E services were appropriate given his current employment status.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus was granted with an effective date of December 31, 2013. The Board found that the earliest possible effective date is December 31, 2013 as no earlier claims were filed.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is rated at 20 percent since August 8, 2016. The Board found that he was unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation due to his service-connected disabilities from May 9, 2009 to August 29, 2014.

The Veteran does not have a current disability of bilateral hearing loss for VA purposes, and therefore his claim for service connection is denied.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and bipolar disorder. The lung disorder claim is also reopened as new and material evidence was received.,Regarding hearing loss, a VA examination was conducted in March 2014 but did not consider the Veteran's exposure to loud noises during his military service.

The Veteran's service connection claims are granted for an acquired psychiatric disorder, a heart disorder, and other conditions. The appeal is based on new evidence.