Hearing loss Board decisions

The Board has determined that further action is needed to address the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine. The claims are being remanded to obtain updated medical opinions regarding the etiology of these conditions, as well as additional pertinent records from VA and private sources.

The Board finds that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to service, while diabetes mellitus is presumed to have been incurred during active military service.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for his bilateral hearing loss is being remanded due to the inability to obtain a December 2011 audiogram from VA treatment records.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, xerosis, tinnitus, and bilateral hearing loss, prevent him from securing and maintaining substantially gainful employment. The Board has granted entitlement to total disability based on individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 100 percent disabling since July 27, 2006. The Board finds that the Veteran has total occupational and social impairment due to his service-connected PTSD.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed conditions are not related to his service and thus denied all claims for service connection.

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss disability was productive of no worse than level I hearing impairment throughout the initial rating period, and thus does not meet the criteria for an initial compensable rating.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss of the right ear and for increased ratings for hallux valgus of both feet. The Veteran was found not to have a current disability that meets VA criteria for hearing loss in the right ear, and his claim for an increased rating for hallux valgus of the right great toe was denied as well.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from obtaining and maintaining gainful employment.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has been rated as noncompensable, and the claim for a compensable rating is denied.,There is no evidence of a current diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in the record. The issue of service connection for OSA is therefore denied.

The Board found that the Veteran's right ear hearing loss did not manifest during service or within one year of separation, and thus could not be presumed to have been incurred in service. The VA examiner opined that the current right ear hearing loss was not caused by or a result of military service.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently rated at 10 percent, the minimum rating available under VA regulations. The Board found that his current hearing acuity does not warrant a higher evaluation.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment for the entire appellate period prior to May 31, 2017.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his service, including exposure to noise during his time in Vietnam. As such, the appeal for service connection is granted.

The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss prior to October 30, 2006 was denied. However, the Board granted a 10 percent rating from October 30, 2006 to the present.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has been rated at 20 percent since April 30, 2014 and is now rated at 50 percent for the period after that date.

The Board has remanded the case due to outstanding VA audiograms and further development is needed before a decision can be made on the claim of entitlement to service connection for a bilateral hearing loss disability.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is not shown to have been worse than Level I in either ear at any point during the appeal period, resulting in a noncompensable rating.

The Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus are rated at 20% and 10%, respectively, but his adjustment disorder with depressed mood is rated at 50%. The Board denied an increased rating for hearing loss and found that the Veteran is not unemployable due to service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for right ear sensorineural hearing loss, left ear sensorineural hearing loss, and tinnitus. The decision found that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for service connection in all three cases due to lack of a current disability or evidence of an in-service injury or disease.