Hearing loss Board decisions

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not etiologically related to his active service. The preponderance of evidence does not support a finding that these conditions were incurred or aggravated by military service.

The Veteran's claim for concurrent retirement and disability pay (CRDP) was denied as the effective date of his service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus is August 25, 2013. The Board found that the preponderance of evidence did not support a retroactive CRDP beyond this date.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been found to render him unemployable, as they preclude substantially gainful employment for which his education and occupational experience would otherwise qualify him. The Board has granted a TDIU based on this finding.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability is not related to his service, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's hearing loss, at worst, was manifested by Level I hearing in both ears. The Board finds that the criteria for an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss have not been met.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for allergic rhinitis, sinusitis, and right ear hearing loss have been denied as there is no current diagnosis of these conditions. The Veteran has a history of allergic rhinitis during service but not before. Right ear hearing loss did not meet VA compensation criteria at any time during active duty service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining employment records from the USPS and arranging for an audiological examination to assess his hearing loss.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss was denied as the evidence did not show that his disability warranted a higher evaluation.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn, and the Board is dismissing all issues on appeal.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, dermatitis (claimed as skin rash due to herbicide exposure), residuals of left eye strabismus surgery, and both right and left knee osteoarthritis. The appeals were decided on a direct basis without any presumption or secondary theory.

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss disability is as likely as not related to service, and the Board has granted service connection for this condition. The issue of an initial compensable rating for left ear hearing loss will be addressed in a separate decision.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current diagnoses of bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are service-connected, with the hearing loss being granted based on direct service connection due to in-service noise exposure. The tinnitus is secondary to the service-connected hearing loss.

The Board has found that the Veteran's recurrent spontaneous pneumothorax of the right lung is not related to service, including his left lung spontaneous pneumothorax. The Board denied service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to complete the necessary steps for a TDIU claim prior to April 4, 2011. The VA Form 21-8940 needs to be completed and any relevant private records need to be obtained.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is found to be etiologically related to his active service, and the Board grants service connection for this disability.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of bilateral hearing loss or an acquired psychiatric disorder. The claim for service connection for these conditions is denied as there is no evidence to support their occurrence during active duty.

The Veteran's initial claim for a compensable disability rating for bilateral hearing loss is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining treatment records and scheduling a VA examination.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss is currently rated as noncompensable, with audiometric test results showing no more than mild to severe sensorineural hearing loss in both ears. The Board finds that the evidence does not support a compensable rating.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, asthma, and sleep apnea have been denied. The claim for an effective date prior to August 5, 2015 for tinnitus has also been denied.,The Veteran is currently rated at 10% for his service-connected tinnitus.

The Board has determined that the evidence is at least in equipoise regarding the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, and thus grants these claims.