Hearing loss decisions — 2018

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of hearing loss for VA purposes in either ear, and therefore, service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied.

The Veteran's appeal is denied as his service-connected bilateral hearing loss does not warrant a compensable evaluation, and the Board finds that tinnitus and a psychiatric disorder are not related to service.

The Veteran does not have hearing loss that is considered a disability for VA purposes, thus service connection cannot be granted.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The low back disability was rated at 40 percent prior to August 11, 2015, and 60 percent from that date forward.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for a new VA audiological examination to assess the current severity of his service-connected bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for tinnitus and the issues of whether new and material evidence has been received to reopen previously denied claims of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss and bilateral leg numbness have been withdrawn.,PTSD is currently rated at 30 percent, which is the maximum rating available under Diagnostic Code 9411. The Veteran's PTSD results in occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas due to symptoms such as depressed mood, anxiety, panic attacks (weekly or less often), chronic sleep impairment, mild memory loss, flattened affect, circumstantial speech, difficulty understanding complex commands, impaired judgment, impaired abstract thinking, disturbances of motivation and mood, and difficulty establishing effective relationships.,The Veteran's service-connected residuals of gunshot wound to the right shoulder are currently rated at 30 percent under Diagnostic Code 5303.

The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss is addressed in the REMAND portion of the decision. The Board denied his claim for a rating in excess of 20 percent for diabetes mellitus, Type II.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to service, and therefore denied his claims for service connection.

The Board found that the preponderance of evidence did not support an increased rating in excess of 30 percent for the service-connected coronary artery disease (CAD). The Veteran's current disability picture does not meet the criteria for a higher rating under any applicable diagnostic code.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to service, with the exception of his bilateral hearing loss which is not related. The Veteran's tinnitus is found to be related to service.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is related to acoustic trauma incurred during active service and the Board finds that service connection for this condition is warranted.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal regarding the increased rating for bilateral hearing loss, leaving no issues for appellate review.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus did not manifest within one year after his separation from service or were not related to his in-service noise exposure. Therefore, service connection for these conditions is denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining service treatment records and VA/VA-Medical Center (VAMC) treatment records. The Veteran also needs a new examination for his right knee disability and bilateral hearing loss.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus did not manifest in service or within one year thereafter, and are not otherwise related to a period of qualifying service. Therefore, service connection for these conditions was denied.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was rated as noncompensable prior to January 6, 2014. From January 6, 2014, to April 28, 2017, the Veteran received a 10% rating for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss. Since April 28, 2017, he is rated at 40%. The Board found that these ratings were appropriate based on the evidence of record.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have tinnitus and therefore, service connection for this condition is denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, a chronic heart disorder, and bilateral hearing loss. The evidence did not meet the criteria for service connection in any of these areas.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and a headache disorder. The Veteran's current conditions are found to be related to his in-service noise exposure and TBI.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left ear hearing loss does not meet or approximate the criteria for a compensable rating under VA regulations, and therefore denied his claim.