Hearing loss decisions — 2011

The Veteran's left ear hearing loss is currently rated as noncompensable, and his low back disability remains in remand status due to insufficient development.

The Board found that the Veteran's tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss were not incurred or aggravated by his military service, as there was no evidence of such conditions during service and credible lay and medical evidence did not support a finding that they began in service.

The Board finds that the Veteran's right ear hearing loss disability is service-connected, while his left ear hearing loss disability is not.

The Board found that the Veteran's current left ear hearing loss disability was not incurred in or aggravated by service, nor may it be presumed to have been incurred in or aggravated by service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, and Meniere's disease. The claim for new and material evidence to reopen a previously denied claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss was also denied.

The Board found that the Veteran's current hearing loss of the left ear is not related to service, and thus denied his claim for service connection. The evidence did not establish a nexus between the current disability and any in-service noise exposure or disease.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is at least as likely as not related to his service-connected bilateral hearing loss, and thus grants service connection for tinnitus.

The Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is as likely as not related to in-service noise exposure, and the Board grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus were all found to be related to her service. The Board granted the Veteran's claims for these conditions.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and consideration, including obtaining additional medical records, scheduling a VA examination, and readjudicating the issues on appeal.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not meet the criteria for a current diagnosis of hearing loss meeting the requirements of 38 C.F.R. § 3.385, and therefore service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for an initial compensable rating for service-connected bilateral hearing loss and denied his claim for service connection for a left lower extremity disability, to include a disability of the left hip and left knee.

The Board denied service connection for asbestosis, residuals of a back injury, bilateral shoulder disorder, hearing loss, and bad feet including flat feet due to lack of evidence of in-service incurrence or current disabilities.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for a perforated eardrum with hearing loss disability was previously denied. New evidence did not reopen this claim. However, the Veteran's claim of service connection for epistaxis (recurring nosebleeds) was reopened and granted.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining SSA records and providing a VA examination to address the etiology of his peripheral neuropathy and thoracic spine disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran experienced non-combat and combat-related acoustic trauma during active service, resulting in current hearing loss disability and tinnitus. The Board also found evidence of a thoracic spine injury related to aircraft ejection seat training, leading to current disability.

The Board found no evidence of hearing loss or tinnitus in service and denied the Veteran's claims for service connection.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including a VA examination.

The Board finds that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability is not related to his military service, as there was no evidence of hearing loss during or immediately after service. The claim for service connection is denied.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus did not manifest during service or within one year thereafter, and therefore could not be presumed to have had their onset in service. The VA examiner opined that the current audiometric findings are consistent with normal aging effects rather than noise-induced hearing loss.