Hearing loss decisions — 2018

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

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for bilateral hearing loss, right upper extremity numbness, and right lower extremity numbness during the September 2017 Board hearing. The remaining issues of service connection are being remanded.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied due to failure to report for scheduled VA examinations.,Service connection was granted for anxiety disorder, basal cell cancer of the nose, and arthritis, facet joint L5-S1.

The Board has determined that additional medical opinions are needed to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and hypertension. The issues have been REMANDED.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is etiologically related to his service, specifically his exposure to hazardous noise during combat. As a result, the claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is granted.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus are found to be etiologically related to acoustic trauma sustained in active service, thus granting service connection for these conditions.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and low back condition.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination.

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a rating in excess of 10 percent for her lower back disorder, bilateral hearing loss, or tinnitus.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss, as well as his claim of service connection for a lumbar spine disorder and major depressive disorder have been denied. The issue of reopening the claim for major depressive disorder has also been addressed.

The Veteran does not meet the criteria for specially adapted housing or a special home adaptation grant due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board finds that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is as likely as not causally related to noise exposure during his active service, and grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for further development and adjudication of his claims, including a TDIU claim.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for a bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus, finding that both conditions are etiologically related to his active duty service.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for right ear hearing loss and granted it, finding that new evidence supports a current diagnosis of sensorineural hearing loss and connecting this to in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 50 percent disabling. The effective date for service connection of bilateral hearing loss is set at August 29, 2008 for left ear and December 24, 2012 for right ear.

The Board has determined that the VA examination is inadequate and requires a supplemental opinion to address the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The case will be remanded for further development.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection of bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, as well as his claim for additional residuals of a right eye injury secondary to service-connected macular scarring. The appeal is dismissed.

The Veteran's service-connected asthma and other disabilities do not meet the criteria for SMC based on need for aid and attendance of another or specially adapted housing. The Board found that the primary cause of the need for aid and attendance is due to non-service-connected COPD, rather than service-connected asthma.

The Veteran's hearing loss has been rated as noncompensable, and his service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.