Hearing loss decisions — 2012

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are as likely as not related to his active military service, including exposure to loud noise during combat missions. As such, the claims for service connection have been granted.

The Veteran was granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, as these conditions are related to his in-service acoustic trauma. The Veteran's right and left wrist degenerative arthritis were also found to be related to his in-service injuries.,Service connection was established based on direct evidence of a link between the current disabilities and the Veteran's military service.

The Board found that the Veteran's right ear hearing loss was not incurred in or aggravated by service and may not be presumed to have been incurred or aggravated therein. As a result, the claim for service connection for right ear hearing loss was denied.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for a right ear hearing loss disability due to new evidence showing current hearing impairment. The appeal is granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is a result of service, and therefore grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to attempt to obtain clarification of his February 2008 audiometric evaluation results and determine if he is entitled to an earlier effective date for the grant of a 40 percent evaluation for service-connected bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD, bilateral hearing loss disability, and tinnitus do not meet the threshold level of severity for a TDIU as his combined rating is less than 70%.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for right ear hearing loss is denied as there is no evidence of a current disability meeting VA compensation criteria.

The Board has granted service connection for left ear hearing loss, and the issue of right ear hearing loss is remanded for further development.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of right ear sensorineural hearing loss or hepatitis C, and therefore, service connection for these conditions is denied.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate VCAA notice and additional development is required before the Board can adjudicate the Veteran's pending claims.

The Board found new and material evidence to reopen the claim for service connection for hearing loss in the left ear, which was previously denied due to lack of evidence. The Veteran's preexisting hearing loss did not increase during service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss was denied as there is no credible evidence of a nexus between his in-service noise exposure and current hearing loss.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to address the appellant's claims for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death and entitlement to Dependents' Educational Assistance under the provisions of 38 U.S.C. Chapter 35, including providing proper notice and obtaining a VA medical opinion.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and residuals of head trauma were denied as there is no credible evidence linking these conditions to service.,No probative medical evidence supports a link between the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus with his periods of active military service.

The Veteran's initial noncompensable rating for service-connected bilateral hearing loss remains unchanged, as his current level of impairment does not warrant a higher evaluation.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to in-service noise exposure, and service connection is granted for these conditions.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for service connection for tinnitus on a direct-incurrence basis, entitlement to a compensable initial rating for bilateral hearing loss prior to February 23, 2009, and entitlement to service connection for a right knee condition and degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability is being remanded due to incomplete development of his periods of service in the Minnesota Army National Guard. The VA needs to clarify these periods and obtain a medical opinion regarding whether the hearing loss manifested during active duty or training.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development due to incomplete medical records and concerns about the reliability of audiometric testing results.