Hearing loss decisions — 2018

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to service, while his hypertension is found to be aggravated by PTSD. The claims for gastroparesis and GERD with Barrett's syndrome have been remanded.

The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates and service connection have been denied. The Board found that no new or material evidence had been submitted to reopen the previously denied claims.

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

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus. The Veteran's claims for these conditions are supported by his credible account of in-service events and medical evidence linking the disabilities to his military service.

The Board denied an increased rating for service-connected bilateral hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's hearing acuity did not warrant a higher rating based on VA examination results.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The Veteran's current diagnosis of bilateral hearing loss disability is considered, along with his credible statements regarding onset during active service, and it is found in equipoise with the negative medical opinion. Therefore, reasonable doubt must be resolved in favor of the Veteran, and he is granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for right ear hearing loss and granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there is a link between his in-service noise exposure and current disabilities.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are found to have onset in service, meeting the criteria for service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have current disabilities related to his claimed conditions of bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and cold weather injuries of the hands, feet, and ears. The evidence does not support a finding of service connection for these conditions.,Service treatment records were incomplete due to destruction in a fire at the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC).

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 50 percent disabling, effective January 31, 2017.,The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently rated as 0 percent disabling.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is not causally or etiologically related to his military service, including noise exposure.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss has been rated at 10 percent since the award of service connection. The VA determined that his hearing acuity did not meet criteria for a higher rating based on the audiometric test results.

The Board has determined that there is at least equipoise evidence for and against service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, which are found to be related to the Veteran's military service. As a result, both conditions have been granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is causally related to in-service noise exposure and grants service connection for this condition. Service connection for tinnitus was denied as there is no current diagnosis of tinnitus.

The Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability was not incurred in or aggravated by active service, and the Board finds that it is more likely due to his civilian occupations rather than military noise exposure.

The Board has granted service connection for right ear hearing loss, bilateral upper and lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, and colon cancer as due to exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune. The decision is based on the presumption of exposure to contaminants in drinking water at Camp Lejeune.

The Board has determined that the appellant's character of discharge is dishonorable due to willful and persistent misconduct, which bars him from receiving VA compensation benefits for any period of service. As a result, he cannot establish service connection for diabetes mellitus, coronary artery disease, hypertension, or bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability is considered to have had its onset during his active service, and the Board has determined that this condition is service connected.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for hearing loss, finding that the current effective date (December 30, 2012) is the earliest possible under law.

The Veteran's tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss were found to be related to service, with the Board finding that reasonable doubt was resolved in favor of the Veteran.