Hearing loss decisions — 2018

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and bilateral tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are related to in-service noise exposure. The left ankle/foot condition claim is remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's service connection claims for hearing loss, deviated septum, headaches, tinnitus, and a stomach disability are granted. A rating of 70 percent is assigned for PTSD prior to January 14, 2014.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the previously denied claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. The Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus are now granted as they arose during his military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there was no credible evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board has reopened and granted the Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, bilateral hearing loss disability, low back disability, neck disability, parotid gland neoplasm, radiculopathy of upper extremities, peripheral neuropathy of upper extremities, radiculopathy of lower extremities, and peripheral neuropathy of lower extremities.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that new and material evidence has been submitted. The Board also granted service connection for both conditions.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD and depression) due to lack of credible supporting evidence for the claimed in-service stressors.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss did not manifest within one year of service discharge and is not causally or etiologically related to service. The Board finds that the preponderance of evidence against the claim.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus did not manifest during or as a result of his military service, and thus denied the claims for service connection.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently assigned a noncompensable evaluation, and the Board finds that he does not meet the criteria for an initial compensable evaluation.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD, tinnitus, and bilateral hearing loss do not meet the criteria for a TDIU due to their combined rating of 60 percent. However, his unemployability is attributed to his PTSD symptoms which render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

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

The Veteran's PTSD has been granted a 100% disability rating effective August 26, 2010. He is also service connected for right ear hearing loss but not for left ear hearing loss.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for an updated VA hearing loss examination and to obtain relevant treatment records. The issue of evaluating his bilateral hearing loss disability remains on hold until further notice.

The Veteran's cholangiocarcinoma is found to have been incurred in service, while tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss are not shown to be related to service.

The Veteran's cause of death was due to metastatic lung cancer, which is service-connected. The Board granted service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death.,The Appellant is not entitled to an effective date prior to June 24, 2015, for the award of special monthly compensation based on her need for aid and attendance.

The Veteran's right shoulder disability and bilateral hearing loss were both denied as the evidence did not support a higher evaluation.

The Board found that the evidence was at least evenly balanced as to whether the Veteran's left ear hearing loss is related to in-service noise exposure. As a result, with reasonable doubt resolved in favor of the Veteran, the criteria for entitlement to service connection for left ear hearing loss have been met.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not related to service, with the majority of medical opinions concluding that any such conditions are due to temporary factors rather than noise exposure. The Veteran's claim for service connection was denied.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including coronary artery disease, tinnitus, and bilateral hearing loss, render him unable to obtain or retain substantially gainful employment since December 26, 2012.,While the Veteran's symptoms from his service-connected disabilities limit his ability to work, they are adequately contemplated by the relevant rating schedule for service-connected bilateral hearing loss.