Hearing loss decisions — 2012

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss was not incurred or aggravated by his military service, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete development of service treatment records and issues related to hearing loss and a burst eardrum injury. The Veteran's claims for service connection will be readjudicated after further development.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and medical opinions. The VA will provide a Statement of the Case (SOC) addressing her claims, obtain all pertinent records, and schedule her for VA examinations.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to discrepancies in his personnel records and a need for further development, including determining combat status and converting audiometric results.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, low back disorder, dry skin disorder, and URI have been denied as there is no competent evidence showing a direct link between these conditions and his military service.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable disability rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied as the evidence did not show that his service-connected hearing loss warranted such a rating.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was not incurred in service and is not due to his military service. The Board found that the evidence does not support a finding of service connection for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board is remanding the case for additional development and adjudicative action, including obtaining service treatment records, VA treatment records, and any other relevant medical records. The Veteran must also be provided with a VCAA notice regarding the claims.

The Veteran's left ear hearing loss is rated as noncompensable throughout the appeal period, with no evidence of a higher rating based on the criteria provided in the Schedule for Rating Disabilities.

The Board denied service connection for headaches and hearing loss in November 2002, finding no new and material evidence. The claim for vascular dementia was also denied as it did not relate to the previously denied psychiatric conditions.

The Board finds that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is related to service, as it had its onset during active duty and there is no evidence of pre-service or post-service noise exposure. The claim is granted.

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

The Board found that the Veteran's hypertension, nephrolithiasis, right foot disability, and hearing loss were not incurred or aggravated by service. The PTSD claim was denied as well.

The Veteran's left ear hearing loss was not shown to have been aggravated by service, and no presumptive conditions were found. The Board denied the claim for service connection.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is found to be service-connected. The Board also finds that the left foot disability and right shoulder disorder are not service-connected.

The Board has remanded the case due to outstanding medical records and further examination is needed for some of the claims.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss in the left ear and PTSD. The Veteran's current diagnoses of bilateral hearing loss, specifically in the left ear, are supported by VA audiometry results and clinical examination. Service records confirm his exposure to noise during military service. For PTSD, the Veteran provided credible testimony regarding combat stressors related to fear of hostile military activity consistent with the circumstances of his service in Iraq. The Board found sufficient evidence to support these claims.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD with an effective date of May 4, 2007. The Veteran's appeal regarding the initial rating for bilateral hearing loss and the issue of whether to reopen his low back condition claim have been withdrawn.

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