Hearing loss decisions — 2018

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including bilateral lower extremities peripheral neuropathy due to Agent Orange exposure and anxiety disorder, have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development, including scheduling a VA audiological examination and obtaining outstanding VA treatment records.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and COPD are not related to his service, with no evidence of in-service noise exposure or respiratory injury. The claims for service connection have been denied.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete records and the need for additional medical opinions regarding the Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and found that the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for anxiety disorder, pseudofolliculitis, and allergic rhinitis were not supported by the evidence. The claim for TDIU prior to December 2, 2015, was also denied.

The Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and traumatic cataracts are service-connected as they are related to his military service, including combat exposure. The right axillary nodule is also considered service-connected due to its connection with the shell fragment wound he experienced during service.

The evidence does not establish that the Veteran's gastrointestinal disability, variously diagnosed as GERD, hiatal hernia, and diverticulitis, is related to his active service. The Board finds no in-service disease or injury for this claim.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently rated at 30 percent, the maximum rating available under VA regulations. The Board denied a higher rating as there was no evidence to support an increase in disability level.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are at least as likely as not related to his military service.,Service connection is established for bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has been rated as noncompensable. The Board finds no basis for a higher rating and the claim is denied.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is found to be incurred in service. The respiratory disorder characterized by shortness of breath is presumed to have been caused by exposure to asbestos, dust, paint chips, tear gas, and carbon tetrachloride during service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied, while his claim for service connection for tinnitus is granted.

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

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently rated at 10 percent and does not meet the criteria for a higher rating. The Board also found that he did not meet the requirements for TDIU as his service-connected disabilities do not present such an exceptional disability picture that the available schedular evaluations are inadequate.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently rated at 30 percent, and the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted based on the evidence of record.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his active service, with the onset occurring during a training exercise in March 1967. Service connection is granted for both conditions.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for additional evidence, including private treatment records and a VA examination.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding the relationship between his current hearing loss and military noise exposure, as well as whether it is related to his service-connected rhinitis and sinusitis.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining updated medical records and a VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected hearing loss. The TDIU claim will also be addressed in light of any new psychiatric symptoms reported by the Veteran.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left ear hearing loss and tinnitus are service-connected, but his right ear hearing loss is not. The decision also grants service connection for tinnitus.