Hearing loss decisions — 2018

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is being remanded due to the need for additional medical examination and opinion.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including arteriosclerotic heart disease and multiple other conditions, render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently manifested by no worse than Level I in the left ear and Level III in the right ear, resulting in a noncompensable disability rating. The Board finds that this does not meet the criteria for an initial compensable disability rating.

The Veteran's right knee disability is currently rated as 10 percent disabling, and the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted.,Service connection for bilateral hearing loss has not been established. The Veteran does not have current hearing loss disability as defined by VA standards.,Service connection for tinnitus has also not been established. The VA examiner found that the onset of symptoms was post-service and related to occupational noise exposure.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed bilateral hearing loss and bilateral foot disabilities are not related to his military service, and therefore denied both claims.

The Veteran's claim for hearing loss is dismissed. The Board grants a 100 percent rating for PTSD effective from January 5, 2009.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has been manifested by no worse than Level II hearing impairment in both ears, resulting in a noncompensable rating.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD was denied as there is no current diagnosis of PTSD attributable to the verified in-service stressor.,Service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including unspecified schizophrenia and mood disorder, was also denied.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied as his audiometric test results did not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation.,Service connection for a low back disability was granted, with the Board finding that there is at least equipoise evidence to support the opinion that the current condition is related to service.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, low back disorder, and knee disabilities were denied. The Board found no evidence of in-service aggravation or a service-connected condition that caused the current disabilities.

The Board has determined that service connection is warranted for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, as the evidence shows current disability and in-service noise exposure. Service connection is not granted for hypertension due to lack of medical evidence supporting a nexus between active duty service and the condition.,Service connection is granted for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus based on continuity of symptomatology since service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss on an extraschedular basis as his symptomatology is already considered in the current schedular rating criteria.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability did not have onset during active service, and is not otherwise related to active service. As a result, the claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability is denied.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that new and material evidence has been received. The Board then determined that these conditions are at least as likely as not related to his military service and granted service connection.

The Board found that the Veteran's right ear hearing loss disability is not related to in-service noise exposure and denied service connection.

The Veteran's hearing loss is rated at a 10 percent disability rating effective December 17, 2013. The appeal for higher ratings prior to that date or in excess of the current rating has been denied.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for bilateral hearing loss has been dismissed due to his death during the pendency of the appeal.

The Veteran's tinnitus is at least as likely as not related to his active duty service, and the Board finds that the evidence supports a finding of an in-service incurrence and continuity of symptomatology since service. Service connection for tinnitus is granted.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient opinions regarding whether service-connected tinnitus caused or aggravated the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss, and for obtaining VA treatment records.