Hearing loss Board decisions

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining private treatment records and scheduling VA examinations to assess the current level of severity of his service-connected postoperative bilateral foreign bodies, conjunctiva and cornea, as well as determining whether he has ruptured tympanic membranes and if so, whether they are due to noise exposure in service. Service connection for hearing loss and perforated tympanic membranes will also be addressed.

The Veteran's service connection claim for obstructive sleep apnea is granted. The Board finds that the evidence supports a finding of in-service onset and nexus to service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current bilateral hearing loss disability for VA compensation purposes and therefore, service connection for this condition is denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including type 2 diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy of the extremities, lymphoma, and ischemic heart disease, were denied as there is no evidence of exposure to Agent Orange during service. The Board found that the current disabilities are not related to military service.

The Veteran's service-connected right ear hearing loss is currently rated as noncompensable, and the Board finds that this rating is not warranted based on the evidence of record.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including scheduling VA examinations to assess the current severity of his service-connected bilateral hearing loss and bilateral sternoclavicular joint strain.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current hearing loss disability or tinnitus as defined by VA regulations, and therefore cannot establish service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's service records show that he served in Vietnam from November 1968 to October 1969. The Veteran has an adjustment disorder related to his period of active service, which the Board finds was incurred in service.

The Veteran's hearing loss was evaluated as 10 percent disabling, and the Board found that a higher rating is not warranted based on the evidence of record.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and acid reflux must be remanded due to additional development being required. The lung condition claim is reopened but remains pending.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss. After review, the Veteran's current hearing loss is not related to his military service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not contribute to his cause of death, which was due to a fall from a safe. The Board found the medical evidence insufficient to establish that any of the Veteran's service-connected conditions were the principal or contributory cause of his death.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that it is at least as likely as not related to his in-service noise exposure.

The Board has ordered a remand to obtain an updated medical opinion regarding the cause of the Veteran's death, specifically whether his service-connected conditions caused or contributed to his death.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for further development due to outstanding VA and private treatment records, as well as an addendum opinion from a VA audiologist.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not meet the schedular criteria for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability prior to August 24, 2006. The combined service-connected disability rating was only 60 percent prior to that date.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hearing loss of the right ear is a result of in-service acoustic trauma and thus service connection is granted.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss disability is currently rated at 10 percent, but the evidence does not support a higher rating. The Board found that the available schedular evaluation for the disability is adequate and no extraschedular referral was warranted.

The Veteran's claim for TDIU is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including an addendum opinion from a VA examiner regarding the impact of his service-connected hearing loss and tinnitus on his employability.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete records and need for further examination. The Veteran's claims for service connection are pending.