Hearing loss Board decisions

The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable disability rating for service-connected bilateral hearing loss prior to December 17, 2011, and a rating in excess of 20 percent thereafter is being remanded due to the need for additional development.

The Veteran's appeal was denied, with hypertension rated as noncompensable and other issues remaining in controversy.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability did not manifest during service or within one year of separation, and there is no evidence of a chronic condition in service. The preponderance of the evidence does not support a finding that his current hearing loss disability is related to service.

The Veteran's claim for increased initial disability ratings for bilateral hearing loss has been denied as the evidence does not support a rating in excess of 10 percent from November 24, 2008 to September 15, 2010, 20 percent from September 16, 2010 to August 19, 2011, and 30 percent since August 20, 2011.

The Veteran's hysterectomy was caused by uterine fibroids that developed during service, leading to excessive bleeding.,Service connection is granted for bilateral hearing loss as it meets the criteria under VA regulations.

The case is being remanded for additional development and adjudicative action due to incomplete records from the VA and a private audiologist.

The Board finds that the Veteran does not have sufficient hearing loss in his ears to be considered a disability by VA standards, and therefore service connection for bilateral hearing loss is not established.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was not incurred in or aggravated by active service, nor may it be presumed to have been so incurred. The claim for PTSD was also denied as there is no evidence of an in-service stressor.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has been manifested by puretone threshold averages no higher than 75 decibels in the right ear and 83 decibels in the left ear, with speech discrimination scores of at least 74 percent for both ears. The criteria for a rating greater than 30 percent have not been satisfied during the pendency of this claim.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed as the appellant withdrew his appeal prior to a decision being made.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and opinions regarding the Veteran's claims.

The Board has dismissed the appeal of the Veteran's claim for service connection for right ear hearing loss as it is no longer in appellate status due to a full grant of the benefit sought.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to service, as there was no evidence of these conditions during or within one year after service. The VA examiner opined that the Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus were not caused by military noise exposure.,For the increased rating claim for prostatitis, the Board found that the current disability does not meet the criteria for a 20 percent rating as there is no evidence of urinary leakage requiring absorbent materials or other severe symptoms.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been denied as there is no evidence of symptoms beyond the scope of the rating schedule in Diagnostic Code 6260, which governs tinnitus. The Veteran's current hearing loss does not warrant a compensable rating.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to address the claims of service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, peripheral neuropathy of the upper extremities, and hypertension. The Veteran has not been provided with a VA examination or opinion regarding these issues.

The Board finds that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is due to acoustic trauma sustained in service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's claims for an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss and service connection for a respiratory disorder, to include COPD and pneumonia, are remanded due to outstanding audiograms and the need for VA examination. The examiner must determine if any diagnosed respiratory disorders are related to his active duty service, including as due to exposure to herbicide agents.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss was denied as the evidence did not support a higher rating than the current 40 percent assigned effective October 31, 2012.

The Veteran's preexisting bilateral hearing loss was aggravated by active service and service connection is therefore granted. The Veteran's current sleep apnea may be related to his service-connected PTSD, but further clarification from medical professionals is needed.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's thoracolumbar disability and right ear hearing loss are service-connected as they were incurred during active duty service.