Hearing loss decisions — 2018

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings and service connection was denied. The Board found that the Veteran does not have a current hearing loss disability or a separate sleep disorder, and his PTSD symptoms do not warrant an evaluation in excess of 50 percent.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left ear hearing loss is related to his military service and granted service connection for this condition. The skin disorder claim, however, did not receive a clear opinion regarding its relationship to service or any exposure basis.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including a determination on whether new and material evidence has been received to reopen the claim of service connection for left ear hearing loss. The right ear hearing loss rating remains under review.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities meet the threshold criteria for TDIU, and the Board finds that his education, special training, and employment history support a finding of unemployability.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus disabilities are not related to his military service, as there is no evidence of a nexus between in-service noise exposure and these conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to the AOJ for further development, including obtaining additional VA treatment records and arranging for a medical examination. The TDIU claim will be adjudicated again after all requested actions have been completed.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was rated at 10 percent throughout the initial rating period, and no higher. The Board found that his hearing loss did not warrant a rating in excess of 10 percent.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to inadequate VA examination opinions and conflicting medical evidence regarding the Veteran's left ear hearing loss and frequent urination.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher initial rating for bilateral hearing loss has been dismissed as the Veteran and his representative withdrew their appeal prior to the issuance of an appellate decision.

The Veteran's initial claim for an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating prior to August 18, 2017, and in excess of 40 percent thereafter.

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

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss is currently manifested by Level I hearing impairment, which does not warrant a compensable rating. The Board finds that the evidence does not support an initial compensable rating for his right ear hearing loss.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has not been found to be worse than Level II impairment in either ear, which corresponds to a noncompensable evaluation under the applicable rating criteria.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was found to not warrant a compensable rating since April 21, 2016. The VA examiner determined that the Veteran's hearing loss did not meet the criteria for a higher rating based on his audiometric test results.

The Board has separated the Veteran's bilateral ear disability claim into three separate issues: hearing loss, headaches, and congenital stenosis of the ear canals with otitis externa. After considering all evidence, including VA and private medical opinions, the Board finds that service connection is granted for bilateral hearing loss but denied for both headaches and a bilateral ear disability.

The Veteran's chronic residuals of hepatitis C have been granted service connection as a result of his in-service combat exposure to blood and enemy contact.,Service connection for bilateral hearing loss has been established based on the Veteran's in-service exposure to acoustic trauma during combat, resulting from artillery fire and explosions.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are found to be related to service, while benign prostatic hypertrophy is not. The claim for hypertension was not addressed in this decision.

The Veteran's migraine headaches, bilateral hearing loss, and GERD are all service-connected. The pes planus is presumed to have been incurred in service based on the evidence of record. Cerumen impaction was also found to be incurred during service.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for further development, including additional examinations and consideration of his service connection and rating claims.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to obtain and secure substantial gainful employment, thus the TDIU claim is denied.