Hearing loss decisions — 2012

The Veteran's appeal is about his service-connected hearing loss disability and whether he is unemployable due to it. The VA examinations are inadequate, and the case must be remanded for new examination and opinion.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss is being remanded due to the need for additional audiometric examination results and consideration of his testimony regarding worsening hearing since his last VA examination.

The Board has found that the Veteran's left ear hearing loss was at least as likely as not aggravated by his active military service and granted entitlement to service connection for this condition.

The Board found no evidence of a hearing loss disability during service and denied the claim as there is not sufficient medical evidence to establish a nexus between current hearing loss and military noise exposure.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss prior to February 18, 2012, and thereafter was dismissed as the Veteran withdrew his appeal.,Service connection for tinnitus secondary to service-connected bilateral hearing loss was granted.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's assertions of noise exposure in service are credible. The evidence is at least in equipoise regarding whether his current hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his period of service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus should be remanded to obtain a medical examination and nexus opinion.

The Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are found to be related to his military service, warranting the grant of service connection for both conditions.

The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for right ear hearing loss and earlier effective date was denied. The Board found that the earliest possible effective date he could receive is June 20, 2003.

The Veteran is seeking service connection for bilateral hearing loss, which he claims was caused by noise exposure during his military service as a firefighter. The Board finds that further development is needed to determine the etiology of the Veteran's hearing loss and to obtain all relevant medical records.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability has not met the criteria for a compensable rating since May 20, 2010. His tinnitus disability is currently rated at 10 percent.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional VA treatment records, specifically from a February 2012 audiological evaluation in Lincoln, Nebraska. The issue of entitlement to an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss will be reconsidered.

The Board has decided to remand the case for a new examination of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability due to inconsistencies in test scores throughout the appeal period.

The Veteran's claims for service connection of bilateral hearing loss, and initial compensable evaluations for facial scars on the nose and right upper lip were denied as there is no evidence of a current disability that meets VA criteria.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has been rated as 0 percent since January 10, 2006. The evidence does not show that his hearing loss is more severe than the current rating.

The Board found that the Veteran's preexisting hearing loss in his left ear did not chronically increase in severity during service, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to assess the current nature, extent, and severity of her service-connected otitis media of the right ear with a perforated tympanic eardrum and hearing loss.

The Veteran's tinnitus is found to have begun in service and has continued since, meeting the criteria for service connection. The issue of bilateral hearing loss will be remanded as it requires additional development.

The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for PTSD was granted, with a rating of 70 percent effective May 1, 2010. The decision also addressed service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Veteran's claim to reopen his previously denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability was granted, effective July 12, 2008. The Board found no earlier effective date is warranted as the Veteran did not file a formal or informal claim prior to July 12, 2007.