Hearing loss decisions — 2018

The Veteran's claims of service connection for sleep apnea and hypertension have been granted. The remaining claims are pending.,The Veteran's claims of service connection for a respiratory disability and left foot disability remain pending as new and material evidence has not been received to reopen them.,Service connection is granted for tinnitus, but the cause remains unknown due to conflicting dates provided by the Veteran.,Service connection is denied for vitiligo. The cause remains unknown due to conflicting dates provided by the Veteran.,The Veteran's claims of service connection for a left ankle disability and shoulder disability remain pending as new and material evidence has not been received to reopen them.,The Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, left arm disability, and left leg disability remain pending as new and material evidence has not been received to reopen them.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is not related to his service, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals regarding the increased rating claims for left shoulder disability, right shoulder disability, cervical spine disability, lumbar spine disability, and tinnitus. He also withdrew his service connection claim for fibromyalgia.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the claim of service connection for right ear hearing loss. The case is being remanded for further development, including a VA examination.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn, and the Board is dismissing the case.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss is manifested by an exceptional hearing loss pattern with no worse than Level IV hearing acuity in his right ear and Level V hearing acuity in his left ear. The criteria for an evaluation higher than 10 percent are not met.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, right shoulder injury (claimed as bilateral shoulder injury/pain), left shoulder injury (claimed as bilateral shoulder injury/pain), right leg injury (claimed as bilateral leg injury/pain), and left leg injury (claimed as bilateral leg injury/pain). The Veteran has not appealed these decisions.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for the claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, and initial evaluations in excess of 10 percent for degenerative changes of the right and left knees.

The Veteran's hearing loss is currently manifested by Level II hearing loss in both ears, resulting in a noncompensable disability rating. The Board finds the evidence does not support an increase in the disability rating.

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

The Veteran seeks an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The Board finds that February 9, 2010 is the proper effective date and denies the claim.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating or service connection based on new evidence.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a new VA examination to assess the severity of his bilateral hearing loss and determine the nature and etiology of his acquired psychiatric disorder.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, but denied them based on lack of evidence showing a nexus to in-service noise exposure. The claim for service connection for a bilateral knee condition was not addressed as it is considered new and material.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's conditions are related to his period of active service. The claims for right middle finger injury, right fifth finger crushed knuckle disability, and right ankle condition were not addressed due to lack of evidence.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus disabilities are service-connected as they were caused by exposure to acoustic trauma during active duty service.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed and the case is being remanded for further action.

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

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current low back and cervical spine conditions are not related to service, but his bilateral hearing loss is presumed due to in-service noise exposure. The Veteran also meets the criteria for a diagnosis of ischemic heart disease.,Service connection is granted for ischemic heart disease.

The Veteran's service connection claim for bilateral hearing loss is granted as his current hearing loss disability is the result of in-service noise exposure.