Hearing loss Board decisions

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for spina bifida with congenital spine fusion, D-12 to L-1 and bilateral hearing loss disability. The examiner found no evidence of a superimposed injury or disease upon the congenital abnormality, and concluded that it was less likely than not that the Veteran incurred any disability of the low back in service or sustained an additional disability upon the congenital abnormality. For his bilateral hearing loss claim, the VA examiner concluded that it was less likely than not caused by or a result of an event in service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased or compensable ratings for left ear otitis media, perforated left ear tympanic membrane, and left ear hearing loss due to lack of evidence showing an exceptional disability picture that renders application of the regular rating criteria impractical.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss does not meet the requirements for a compensable rating, as his puretone threshold averages do not exceed 25 decibels in either ear and his speech recognition scores are at or above 90 percent. The Board finds that the Veteran's functional impact is contemplated by the schedular rating criteria.

The Board has decided to remand the case for further development and an opinion from a VA examiner regarding the cause of the Veteran's right ear hearing loss.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right ear hearing loss is service-connected, as it meets the criteria for a qualifying disability and there is sufficient evidence to support a finding of in-service noise exposure leading to current hearing impairment.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeal for an increased rating for service-connected bilateral hearing loss, and the appeal is dismissed.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability is being remanded due to the need for a more thorough examination and opinion regarding the etiology of his hearing loss.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, PTSD, and bilateral osteoarthritis of the knees. The Veteran did not meet the criteria for a current disability in any of these conditions as per VA standards. For PTSD, the Board found that the Veteran's stressor was credible and linked to his military service. However, for bilateral hearing loss and bilateral osteoarthritis of the knees, the evidence did not support a finding of direct service connection.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation, and the Board finds that an extraschedular TDIU rating is denied.

The Board found that the Veteran's claimed disabilities, including bilateral hearing loss and foot disabilities, were not shown to be causally related to his active duty service. The evidence did not establish a nexus between any of these conditions and his military service.

The Veteran's claim of an increased disability evaluation for bilateral hearing loss has been dismissed as moot due to the grant of service connection for Meniere's disease with a 100% rating.

The Board has remanded the case for a new VA examination to determine the severity of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability. The claims will be readjudicated after this development.

The Veteran's left ear hearing loss is found to be service-connected.,There is no evidence of a psychiatric disorder that began in or is related to active duty service.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral sensorineural hearing loss did not meet the nexus to service connection element required for entitlement to disability compensation, as there was no evidence of a disease or injury incurred in or aggravated by active service.

The Board has remanded the case to obtain additional VA treatment records and a new VA audiological examination. The Veteran's hearing loss disability claims are being returned for further development.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a live video conference hearing. The issues of entitlement to an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for right ear hearing loss, entitlement to service connection for left ear hearing loss, and entitlement to service connection for a left leg condition are still pending.

The Veteran's service-connected psoriatic arthritis is rated at 30 percent prior to August 10, 2011 and at 80 percent from that date. The Veteran's left ear hearing loss disability does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating. Service connection for tinnitus was denied.

The Board has determined that the issue of whether new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the claim for service connection for arterial hypertension is moot due to its grant. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss, radiculopathy of the left upper extremity, radiculopathy of the right upper extremity, PTSD, and allergic rhinitis have all been found to be related to his military service.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted service connection, but his bilateral hearing loss and heart disorder are denied. The appeal for an undiagnosed illness was not addressed as it pertained to a different issue.

The Veteran's tinnitus was found to have originated in service and the claim for service connection is granted.