Hearing loss Board decisions

The Veteran's TBI and hearing loss are found to be related to service, while PTSD is also granted. The Board finds that the Veteran sustained burn scars on his face and arms during service.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection of bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the earliest date of receipt of a claim is October 22, 2009.

The Board has granted the Veteran's application to reopen his claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and determined that new evidence supports a finding of etiology. The Veteran is now entitled to service connection for his current bilateral sensorineural hearing loss.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence was not received to reopen the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and a dental disability. The Veteran's statements regarding current disabilities are considered cumulative of previous contentions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's currently diagnosed bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are likely related to his active service, thus granting service connection for these conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his service, including exposure to noise during active duty. As a result, the claims for service connection have been granted.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has been manifested by no worse than level I hearing in both ears, warranting a zero percent disability evaluation. The Board finds that the preponderance of evidence is against the claim for an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is found to be at least as likely as not aggravated by the regular use of ibuprofen for treatment of his service-connected spine disabilities.

The Veteran's sinusitis has been rated at 30 percent since December 8, 2006. The Board also granted a TDIU effective from December 8, 2006, based on the combined impact of multiple service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran is service-connected for multiple disabilities, including ischemic heart disease, coronary artery disease, cardiomyopathy (heart conditions), diabetes mellitus, diabetic peripheral neuropathy of all four extremities, tinnitus, and bilateral hearing loss. The Board finds that the evidence is in relative equipoise as to whether these service-connected disabilities render him unemployable, thus granting a TDIU.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran did not have a current disability or evidence of in-service incurrence or aggravation. The decision also found that the evidence was at least in equipoise as to whether the Veteran's tinnitus had its onset in service.

The Veteran's appeals for a compensable rating for left ear hearing loss prior to April 18, 2016 and an initial rating for bilateral hearing loss beginning on and after April 18, 2016 were denied. The appeal regarding entitlement to a temporary total evaluation for convalescence following treatment of a service-connected disability was not adjudicated.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and a bilateral wrist disability were denied. The lumbar spine disability was granted with an initial rating of 20 percent, effective August 1, 2009. The left lower extremity radiculopathy claim resulted in no change to the existing 10 percent rating.

The Veteran's bilateral sensorineural hearing loss disability was rated at 70 percent prior to July 7, 2010 and increased to 80 percent thereafter. The effective date for the increased rating is not specified.

The Board found that the Veteran's current right ear hearing loss was not incurred during or as a result of in-service noise exposure, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and chronic ear infections, as well as her increased rating claims for migraine headaches, radiculopathy of the lower extremities, and spondylolisthesis L5-S1. The decision also addressed a TDIU claim but found jurisdiction over it.

The Veteran's chronic suppurative otitis media and right ear hearing loss have been granted a compensable disability rating, with the effective date being November 28, 2011.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right knee condition is secondary to his service-connected left knee condition and granted service connection for this issue. The hearing loss claim will be remanded for further examination.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA and private treatment records, conducting a VA audiology examination to determine the current severity of his bilateral hearing loss, and scheduling him for a VA left shoulder disability examination. The TDIU claim will also be reviewed.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to the Veteran's incarceration, which has hampered VA's duty to assist. The Veteran seeks service connection for various conditions including head injury, depression, hearing loss, tinnitus, headaches, PTSD, substance abuse, genital herpes, hepatitis C, and joint and muscle pain.