Hearing loss decisions — 2011

The Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not etiologically related to exposure to noise in service. The Board finds that the Veteran did not have chronic symptoms of hearing loss or tinnitus during service, and there is no evidence of continuity of symptomatology since service separation.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling the Veteran for a VA examination to determine if his current bilateral hearing loss disability, tinnitus, and right knee disorder are related to service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development of his claims, including obtaining SSA records and VA/privately held treatment records.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and asthma, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are related to his military service due to exposure to noise during combat.

Service connection for left ear hearing loss and right shoulder with degenerative joint disease (DJD) has been granted, but the Veteran's claim for an increased rating remains on appeal.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss did not have its onset during active service or result from disease or injury in service. Therefore, the claim for service connection is denied.

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to his death, and no final decision has been made on any of the issues raised.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability has been evaluated as noncompensable since the grant of service connection. The VA examination and private audiologist evaluations have shown mild to moderately severe bilateral sensorineural hearing loss, warranting a noncompensable rating.

The Veteran requested to withdraw his appeal for a compensable initial disability rating for bilateral hearing loss, and the Board has dismissed the appeal.

The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied as the disability is currently manifested by numeric designations of impairment not greater than Level II in each ear, which corresponds to a noncompensable rating.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was rated at 10 percent prior to October 1, 2010 and increased to 30 percent as of that date. Service connection for lumbar spine degenerative changes and actinic keratosis were granted.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is currently rated at 60 percent, effective June 28, 2011.

The Court found that the Veteran's lay testimony was sufficient to establish that he experienced hearing loss during service, and thus concluded in favor of granting his claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding no credible evidence of a link between his current condition and his period of active military service.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is found to be related to his military service, and the claim for service connection is granted.

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

The Veteran's hearing loss has been rated at 20 percent, the maximum schedular rating available for bilateral hearing loss. The Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted based on the evidence of record.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and hypertension, finding no evidence of a current disability related to service. Service connection was granted for myocardial infarction secondary to hypertension.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability has been rated as noncompensable due to the current level of hearing impairment not meeting the criteria for a compensable rating.

The Board denied service connection for PTSD and bilateral hearing loss, finding that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for a current clinical diagnosis of PTSD. The right knee osteoarthritis was also found to be unrelated to service.