Hearing loss decisions — 2010

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and a respiratory disorder. The decision found no current disability in any of these areas, and concluded that there was insufficient evidence to establish a link between any diagnosed conditions and service.

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss is currently rated as noncompensable, and the Board finds that his disability does not warrant a compensable rating.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for a new VA examination to assess his current bilateral hearing loss, as the most recent VA examination is over three years old and does not reflect his recent symptoms.

The Board has remanded the case for additional medical opinion and to obtain updated VA treatment records.

The Board found no evidence to support service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability or tinnitus. The Veteran's current hearing loss and tinnitus were not shown to be related to his military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are service-connected, with no presumption or new evidence required. The onset of both conditions is linked to active military service.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's current hearing loss is related to his active service, specifically noise exposure during service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and posttraumatic stress disorder are being remanded due to the need for additional development of evidence.

The Veteran's claim for TDIU is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including a clarifying medical opinion.

The Veteran has been granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, but denied service connection for tinnitus. The Board found that the Veteran likely had bilateral hearing loss due to noise exposure during his military service, while there is no evidence linking his current tinnitus to his active duty.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of bilateral hearing loss, left shoulder disorder, neck disorder, or radiculopathy of the legs due to service-connected conditions.

The Board found that the Veteran's left ear hearing loss disability, whether or not due to Meniere's disease, is not related to service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current diagnosis of bilateral hearing loss, specifically in his right ear, was not incurred or aggravated by service. The evidence does not support a finding that the Veteran's current hearing loss is related to any incident during military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is related to his in-service noise exposure, and thus grants service connection for this disability.

The RO has granted service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, and PTSD. The appeals are dismissed as the issues have been fully resolved.

The Board has denied all service connection claims due to lack of evidence linking the claimed conditions to service or any presumptive exposure.

The Board finds that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are likely due to acoustic trauma during his active service, and grants service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is found to have its onset during his active military service and the Board grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred or aggravated by service, as there is no evidence of a chronic disability during service and the weight of the evidence does not establish that these conditions are related to any disease, injury, or incident during service. Post-service noise exposure is considered more likely responsible for current symptoms.

The Board has granted the Veteran's request to reopen his claim for service connection of bilateral hearing loss disability. However, due to the mixed disposition (some issues were granted and others not), it is unclear whether he will receive a decision on his PTSD claim.