Hearing loss decisions — 2012

The Board finds that the preponderance of the evidence indicates that the Veteran does not have a current right ear hearing loss disability. Therefore, service connection for this condition is denied.

The Veteran's service-connected left ear hearing loss has been evaluated as non-compensable throughout the appeal period.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have current hearing loss or tinnitus in either ear, and therefore cannot establish service connection for these conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is related to service, but his hearing loss is not. The examiner found no evidence of in-service hearing difficulty and noted a configuration of current hearing loss that did not indicate military origin.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for right ear hearing loss and tinnitus have been reopened.,The Board has determined that the newly submitted evidence raises a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claims.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred in or aggravated by service, as there was no evidence of such during service and the current disabilities are not related to military noise exposure. The claim for increased rating for right shoulder disability is referred to the RO for further review.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his military service, granting service connection for both conditions.

The Veteran's current left ear hearing loss does not meet the criteria for a disability as defined by VA regulations, and therefore service connection is denied.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss has been rated as noncompensable (0 percent) since the grant of service connection in July 2008. The audiometric testing results have consistently shown average puretone thresholds and speech recognition scores that do not meet criteria for a compensable rating.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus are found to be etiologically related to noise exposure sustained during active service.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete development and need for a new VA audiological examination.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to the Department of Veterans Affairs Regional Office for further review and issuance of a statement of the case (SOC) addressing certain claims, including those related to higher evaluations and earlier effective dates. The Veteran will be provided with an opportunity to address these issues in his appeals.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his active service, granting his claims for these conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's tinnitus is causally related to his active duty service. The issue of bilateral hearing loss remains pending and will be addressed in a separate decision.

The Board has dismissed the appeal due to the Veteran's death, and no jurisdiction remains for adjudicating the merits of the claim.

The Board has granted service connection for left ear hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's current condition is related to his military service. The claim was reopened due to new evidence provided since the last final denial.

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

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss does not meet the definition of a VA disability, and his left ear hearing loss is denied as service connection. The effective date for service connection for bilateral tinnitus remains pending.

The Board has decided to remand the case for further development and consideration, including obtaining a supplemental opinion from an audiologist regarding the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including an audiological examination and a VA examination of the Veteran's left ankle. The Veteran is also seeking service connection for residuals of a left ankle fracture.