Hearing loss Board decisions

The Board has determined that additional development is needed before the claims can be fully adjudicated.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability was rated as noncompensable prior to October 13, 2011. From that date forward, the disability is rated at 10 percent.

The Veteran's mood disorder has been productive of occupational and social impairment, with deficiencies in most areas but not total occupational and social impairment. The Veteran meets the schedular requirement for TDIU due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board found that the Veteran's tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, spine disorder, left leg and foot disorder (to include as secondary to a spine disorder), intestinal blockage, hypertension, thyroid disorder, nerve damage of the bilateral hands, and nerve damage of the right leg were not incurred in or aggravated by service.

The Veteran's claim for bilateral hearing loss was granted. The appeal for an earlier effective date for the award of service connection for hemorrhoids was also granted and the effective date is set to April 7, 2006.

The Veteran's appeals for restoration of an 80% disability rating for service-connected bilateral hearing loss and entitlement to a TDIU have been withdrawn prior to the Board's decision.

The Board found that the Veteran did not have a current hearing loss disability or tinnitus, and thus was not entitled to service connection for these conditions. As a result, the Appellant is not eligible for accrued benefits related to these claims.

The Board has determined that there is no evidence of a current disability for any of the claimed conditions and finds that service connection cannot be established as the Veteran did not have a disease or injury in service that caused or aggravated these disabilities.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was evaluated as zero percent disabling, and the Board found no evidence of exceptional hearing patterns or other factors warranting a higher rating.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is likely related to his military service.,His low back disability, diagnosed as degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine and osteopenia with discogenic disease at L5-S1, is also likely related to his service-connected left knee disability. His acquired psychiatric disorder (MDD) is linked to his now service-connected low back disability.

The case is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and VA treatment records, as well as providing the Veteran with a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of his hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral sensorineural hearing loss disability is related to his in-service acoustic trauma and has granted service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the minimum percentage requirements for award of a schedular TDIU, and these disabilities are not shown to prevent him from obtaining or retaining substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining missing speech discrimination testing results and arranging for a VA audiology examination to assess the severity of his bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating or service connection for any of the conditions listed.

The Board has remanded the claims for additional development due to incomplete examination opinions and other procedural issues.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is service-connected, as his in-service noise exposure and current symptoms are consistent with continuity of symptomatology.

The Veteran was not found to be unemployable due to service-connected disabilities prior to November 13, 2006. His TDIU claim is therefore denied for an earlier effective date.

The Veteran's service connection claims for bilateral sensorineural hearing loss and tinnitus were denied as the evidence did not support a finding of in-service incurrence or aggravation. The claim for an initial compensable rating for a left chest scar associated with a GSW was also denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's currently diagnosed bilateral hearing loss was not incurred in or aggravated by active military service, nor may it be presumed to have been so incurred.