Hearing loss Board decisions

The Board has reopened the claims of entitlement to service connection for a right shoulder disability, left wrist disability, upper back disability, mid-to-low-back disability, right knee disability, left knee disability, right ankle disability, and PTSD. The Veteran's reports of inservice acoustic trauma are accepted as credible evidence of an in-service event. Service connection is granted.

The appeal is being remanded for additional development, including consideration of exposure to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune and records from Blanchfield Army Community Hospital.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus are not attributable to his service, as they first manifested years after separation from active duty.

The Veteran's claim for an initial, compensable rating for scars was not addressed as the issue is unclear.,The Veteran's hypertension secondary to prostate cancer has been granted service connection.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus did not meet the criteria for service connection as they were not shown to be related to his military service.

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

The Veteran's tinnitus was granted service connection as it became manifest in-service or is otherwise shown to be related to in-service noise exposure. The issue of bilateral hearing loss remains pending and will be remanded for further development.

The Board has determined that the current hearing loss and tinnitus claims require additional development due to inadequate opinions in the previous VA examination.

The Veteran's tinnitus was found to be incurred in service, while his bilateral hearing loss and acquired psychiatric disorder were not related to service.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's current left ear hearing loss pre-existed service and was not aggravated by service. The right ear hearing loss did not manifest to a compensable degree within one year of separation from service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied. The Board found that the Veteran did not have current left ear hearing loss disability, and his preexisting lumbar spine disorder was not aggravated by service. His right shoulder and left shoulder disorders are addressed in a separate remand. The initial compensable ratings for costochondritis and right ear hearing loss disability were also denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling examinations to determine the nature and etiology of his claimed conditions.

The Board denied all increased rating claims as the Veteran's service-connected conditions did not meet the criteria for a higher disability rating.

The Veteran's tinnitus is rated at the maximum schedular rating, and his bilateral hearing loss disability does not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation. The acquired psychiatric disorder has been found to warrant a 30 percent rating, but no higher. The claim for TDIU is granted.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability did not manifest in service or for many years thereafter and is not related to service. Therefore, service connection was denied.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate examination and medical opinion regarding the Veteran's hearing loss. The claim will be returned for further development.

The Board dismissed the motion due to the death of the moving party, and thus has no jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits of this case.

The Veteran's combined disability rating is 70 percent, meeting the percentage requirements for a TDIU. However, his service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from securing and following substantially gainful employment consistent with his education and occupational experience.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were granted, with some conditions receiving a presumption of herbicide exposure and others being granted based on the evidence presented.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of entitlement to a compensable rating for his left ear hearing loss and service connection for his right ear hearing loss. The Board found that there was no evidence of exceptional hearing loss in either ear, and concluded that the Veteran did not have significant threshold shifts in his right ear over the course of military service.