Hearing loss Board decisions

The Veteran's service-connected psychiatric conditions, including dysthymia, anxiety, and PTSD, rendered him unemployable prior to October 8, 2009. The Board has remanded the case for referral to the Director of Compensation Service under 38 C.F.R. § 4.16(b) to consider entitlement to a TDIU.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is granted from February 13, 2015. Prior to that date, his service-connected disabilities did not preclude him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment. From that date, the combined rating of 90 percent due to bilateral upper extremity neuropathy and cervical spine disability made a TDIU warranted.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for sleep apnea was denied as there is no evidence of a current disability related to service or a service-connected condition.,The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 30 percent for PTSD was denied as the criteria are not met.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are related to her in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is found to have begun during his active service and is therefore granted service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is related to in-service acoustic trauma, and thus grants service connection for this condition. The cervical spine disability claim remains pending as it was not addressed by the RO.

The Board has granted service connection for a left ear hearing loss disability and left ear tinnitus, finding in favor of the Veteran's claims due to conflicting evidence regarding the etiology of his disabilities.,For the issue of an initial rating higher than 30 percent for posttraumatic headaches, the Board found that the criteria were not met as there was no showing of very frequent completely prostrating and prolonged attacks productive of severe economic inadaptability.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are related to his in-service noise exposure. The right ankle disability claim is remanded as there was an inadequate opinion regarding its etiology.

The Veteran's request for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus is being remanded due to the need for a Board video-conference hearing.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus has been granted. The Board finds that the Veteran's current tinnitus is etiologically related to his in-service noise exposure, and resolves all reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Veteran's death was not caused by any service-connected disability, and the causes of his death were determined to be chronic respiratory failure due to COPD, shoulder muscle injury, chest muscle impairment, and PTSD.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss did not manifest during service or within one year of discharge, and there was no evidence of in-service acoustic trauma. The VA examiner concluded that the separation audiometric results were inconsistent with acoustic trauma, thus denying service connection for bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been granted effective as of October 30, 2012.,The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were reopened on new evidence received after the initial denial in May 2015. Effective from October 30, 2012, these conditions are now considered service-connected.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to concerns about the adequacy of the medical opinions provided and the need for a new examination.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's contentions concerning in-service noise exposure are credible and consistent with his service. Service connection is also granted for bilateral hearing loss as it was incurred during active duty.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss has been manifested by no worse than Level III hearing acuity in the right ear and Level IV hearing acuity in the left ear since July 14, 2015. The criteria for an initial compensable rating have not been met.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current ear disability, including bilateral hearing loss and perforated tympanic membranes, is not service-connected. The evidence does not show a current diagnosis of these conditions, nor was there any in-service manifestation or noise exposure during service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial compensable disability evaluation for service-connected bilateral hearing loss disability, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating at any point in the appeal period.

The Veteran's appeal was denied for various service connection claims, including hypertension and several musculoskeletal conditions. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating for hypertension or establish service connection for other claimed disabilities.

The Board finds that service connection for bilateral hearing loss is warranted as the evidence is at least in equipoise regarding its etiology. The Veteran's dental disability (periodontal disease) may be related to his military service, but further examination and medical opinion are needed to determine this conclusively.