Hearing loss decisions — 2011

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling the Veteran for a comprehensive VA orthopedic and neurological examination, as well as a VA psychiatric examination.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for hearing loss, PTSD, degenerative joint disease of the left knee, and chronic back disorder were denied. The Board found no evidence of current disabilities or a link to service.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability is not related to service, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination to determine if these conditions are related to service exposure.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss was denied as there is no evidence of a current disability meeting VA criteria, and the Board finds that his reported noise exposure during service did not result in a compensable level of hearing loss.

The Board found that the appellant's current bilateral hearing loss is not service connected, as there was no evidence linking his in-service noise exposure to his present condition.

The Board has decided the appeal is remanded due to the need for a VA examination to determine if the Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus are related to service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is at least as likely as not a result of noise exposure during his active duty service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Board of Veterans' Appeals (Board) has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for hearing loss of the right and left ears, to include tympanoplasty and ossicular reconstruction. The decision is based on the absence of a present disability that meets VA criteria.

The Board has remanded the case due to the Veteran's request for a travel board hearing.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus as secondary to service-connected left ear hearing loss. The issue of right ear hearing loss is remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate examination reports and incorrect dates of service. The Veteran must be provided a new VA examination to determine the etiology of his current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus taking into account his correct dates of service and the examination reports cited.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability is related to his active military service, and thus grants entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's initial claim for an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied as his current level of disability does not warrant a compensable evaluation.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for left ear hearing loss disability has been denied as there is no evidence of a current disability at any time during the pendency of this claim.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss is currently evaluated as 0 percent disabling, and the Board finds that this level of disability does not warrant a higher evaluation.

The Board found that the appellant's current hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his active service, as there is no evidence of such conditions during or shortly after service. The appellant did not have a hearing loss disability for VA compensation purposes.

The Board has determined that there is no evidence to support the Veteran's claims for service connection for acid reflux, back and neck bone spurs, hearing loss, tinnitus, ear infections, a prostate disorder, neuropathy of the right lower extremity, or neuropathy of the left lower extremity. The Veteran's conditions are not considered to be related to his military service.

The Board has ordered a remand to gather additional evidence and conduct further examinations, as the active duty service records are unavailable. The Veteran's claims for hearing loss, tinnitus, and a respiratory disability will be evaluated based on the available information.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for additional examinations and opinions regarding his hearing loss, tinnitus, and tuberculosis claims.