Hearing loss decisions — 2018

The Veteran's appeal is denied as his service connection for bilateral hearing loss, peripheral neuropathy of the right upper and lower extremities, and peripheral neuropathy of the left upper and lower extremities are not supported by the evidence. The TDIU claim is granted.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been received to reopen the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, thus denying these claims.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to obtain medical records and clarify the nature of his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not meet the criteria for service connection for left ear hearing loss, right ear hearing loss, tinnitus, or a shoulder disability.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including scheduling new examinations and obtaining VA treatment records.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and multiple myeloma are not related to service, including noise exposure or herbicide exposure. The claim for service connection was denied.

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

The Veteran's currently diagnosed bilateral hearing loss is etiologically related to his military noise exposure, and the Board finds that resolving all reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran, service connection for bilateral hearing loss is granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss did not manifest to a compensable degree within one year of separation from service and is not otherwise etiologically related to his period of service. Therefore, the claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's request for an earlier effective date for his service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the claim was received on May 25, 2010.

The Veteran's application for waiver of premiums for RH insurance was denied because his total disability did not begin after the date of his application or while the insurance was in force under premium-paying conditions.

The Board denied service connection for all claimed conditions, including posttraumatic stress disorder, respiratory disability, eye disability, left-sided nerve disability, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and bilateral foot disabilities. The decision was based on the appellant's National Guard service rather than active duty at Ground Zero.

The Board found that the Veteran's back disorder and bilateral hearing loss were not incurred or aggravated by service, respectively. The claim for service connection for a back disorder was denied as there was no evidence of an in-service injury or disease resulting in current disability. For his bilateral hearing loss, the initial noncompensable rating was also denied.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine if the Veteran's income exceeded the maximum annual pension rate and whether there are any new or material pieces of evidence for his service connection claims. The case will be returned to the RO for further action.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have bilateral hearing loss for VA purposes and his OSA is not attributable to service. Additionally, hypertension was not manifest in service or within one year of service and is not otherwise attributable to service.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability has been rated as noncompensable (0%) throughout the appeal period. The VA examinations and other evidence of record do not support a higher rating.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. The Board finds that there is an approximate balance of positive and negative evidence, with the private medical opinion establishing a link between the Veteran's hearing loss and in-service acoustic trauma, and the April 2012 VA examiner linking his tinnitus to his hearing loss. Therefore, service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus is granted.

The Veteran has been diagnosed with hypertension, bilateral sensorineural hearing loss, and tinnitus. The Board grants service connection for hypertension under the presumption of chronicity based on in-service exposure to acoustic trauma.

The Board has determined that the evidence is at least in relative equipoise as to whether the Veteran's tinnitus had its onset during active service, and thus grants service connection for tinnitus. The issue of bilateral hearing loss remains pending.

The Veteran's appeal for an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied, and his TDIU claim was also denied.