Hearing loss decisions — 2018

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is not related to his military service, and therefore denied his claim.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development due to failure to substantially comply with prior remand directives.

The Board found that the Appellant did not have current bilateral hearing loss and denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The remaining issues were also addressed but are remanded.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability is not related to his active military service and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss has been manifested by auditory acuity levels that do not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right ear hearing loss is service-connected, as it was present during his military service and continues to persist. The neck disorder, however, did not manifest within a year of separation from service and there is no evidence linking it to active duty.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for left ear hearing loss and increased rating for right ear hearing loss have been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not show a current disability in either ear as defined by VA regulations.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently rated at 30 percent prior to October 26, 2017, and 50 percent thereafter. The Board finds that the evidence does not warrant a higher rating.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for bilateral hearing loss disability was denied as he did not file a formal or informal claim prior to March 23, 2012.

The Veteran's appeal for an initial compensable rating for service-connected bilateral hearing loss was denied as the evidence did not show any greater than Level III hearing acuity in either ear, warranting a noncompensable rating.

The Veteran's tinnitus is found to be related to military noise exposure. The Board also finds that service connection for a bilateral foot disability, neurological disabilities of the upper and lower extremities secondary to cervical and lumbar spine disabilities are granted.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional VA examinations and records review.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss is being remanded due to the need for clarification of the results from a private audiology evaluation and a new VA examination.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn, and the case is dismissed as there are no remaining issues for review.

The Veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II and coronary artery disease (CAD) are found to be related to in-service herbicide exposure. The claims for service connection for these conditions are granted.

The Board has determined that further development is needed to address the Veteran's claims for service connection, including obtaining verification of stressor events and seeking VA evaluations or treatment records. The case will be remanded for these purposes.

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss is considered a disability for VA purposes and the Board finds that it was incurred during service, resolving all reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his active duty service, and thus denied his claims for service connection.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was not shown to be related to service, including noise exposure during active duty. The Board found that the current hearing loss did not manifest within one year of separation from service and is not a result of in-service acoustic trauma.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for reopening his service connection claim for bilateral hearing loss and for a higher rating for PTSD. The decision is final as it was not appealed after the issuance of a statement of the case.