Hearing loss Board decisions

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, primarily his bilateral hearing loss and psychiatric disability, prevent him from securing and following substantially gainful employment.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate development of records, including Department of Defense and Department of Labor employment records. The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are being returned to the RO for further action.

The Board found that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not meet the schedular criteria for a TDIU before March 15, 2009 and denied an earlier effective date.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for left ear hearing loss due to new and material evidence. However, it is denied as there is no evidence of a current disability related to in-service noise exposure or any other basis for service connection.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for additional development, including obtaining an addendum opinion from the August 2013 VA examiner and attempting to obtain any relevant medical records.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current skin disorder or hearing loss that is service-connected, and therefore denied his claims for these benefits. The TDIU claim was granted based on the September 10, 2009 date of claim.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, PTSD, thyroid cyst, sleep apnea, and arthritis. The decision found that the Veteran's current diagnoses were not related to his military service.

The Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities was denied. The Board has now referred the case back to the Director of Compensation Service for consideration of an extraschedular TDIU.

The Veteran's appeal for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss disability and nonservice-connected pension benefits was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of entitlement to a compensable rating for his service-connected hearing loss, and that his nonservice-connected pension benefits were properly terminated due to his income exceeding the maximum annual pension rate.

The Veteran's claims for vision loss due to a shell fragment wound and bilateral hearing loss are being reopened. However, the Board finds that additional development is needed as there are conflicting medical opinions regarding the etiology of these conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased rating for his right ear hearing loss, cholesteatoma, and vertigo were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of service connection or entitlement to an initial compensable rating.

The Veteran's service-connected right knee disability is currently rated as 10 percent disabling. The Board finds that the evidence does not support a higher rating for this condition.

The Board has decided to remand the case for a new VA examination to assess whether the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is related to his military service, including consideration of his in-service exposure to noise and short-term hearing loss following close-range weapon fire.

The Board has decided to remand the case for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and Social Security Administration disability records.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for left ear hearing loss has been reopened and is being remanded for further development.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the evidence did not support a rating in excess of 30 percent for bilateral hearing loss.

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

The Veteran's claim for a compensable disability rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied as his hearing acuity did not warrant any higher than level I hearing loss in both ears throughout the appeal period.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left ear hearing loss did not occur during service or is not related to military noise exposure, and therefore denied his claim for service connection.