Hearing loss decisions — 2012

The Board has determined that the Veteran's account of exposure to extremely cold temperatures during his service in Korea is credible. However, the preponderance of evidence does not support a finding that the Veteran currently suffers from cold injury residuals causally or etiologically related to his period of active military service.

The Board found no evidence of a hearing loss disability or tinnitus in service and denied the Veteran's claims for service connection.

The Veteran's TBI, sleep apnea, and left ear hearing loss have been granted service connection. The effective date is not specified.

The Board denied service connection for a skin disorder and bilateral hearing loss, finding no evidence of current disability related to service.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, and other conditions based on in-service exposure to noise and physical trauma. The Veteran's current symptoms are consistent with his reported history of service-connected disabilities.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and bilateral pes planus. The decision on bilateral hearing loss is due to lack of a nexus between current disability and service, while the claim for bilateral pes planus remains pending.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to insufficient detail in the previous medical opinion and consideration of new evidence.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of his claimed disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran is competent and credible in his report of exposure to acoustic trauma during service, experiencing bilateral constant tinnitus since service discharge, and has provided testimony regarding current hearing difficulties. Therefore, service connection for tinnitus is granted. However, there is no evidence of a current disability for VA compensation purposes related to bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected hearing loss in the left ear and loss of teeth numbers 8, 9, and 10 do not warrant a compensable evaluation under VA rating criteria.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to his failure to attend a scheduled Travel Board hearing. He will be given another opportunity for such a hearing.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, low back condition, and left ankle disability were denied as there was no evidence of a chronic disability related to service or post-service treatment. The Board found the Veteran's contentions regarding continuity of symptomatology since service to be not credible.

The Veteran has been granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, as these conditions are found to be related to his active military service.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable disability rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied as his hearing impairment did not meet the criteria for any higher evaluation under VA's Schedule for Rating Disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development of his claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. The case will be reviewed to determine if there is evidence of noise exposure during service, or other potential causes.

The Veteran's tinnitus was granted service connection and an initial noncompensable rating for bilateral hearing loss. The Board found that the Veteran's current symptoms are related to his in-service noise exposure, but noted that there is no evidence of a compensable level of hearing impairment.

The Veteran's left ear hearing loss is found to be related to his period of active service, and the claim for service connection is granted.

The Board has granted a 10 percent rating for bilateral hearing loss, effective from June 9, 2008. The decision is based on the Veteran's audiometric test results showing impairment of auditory acuity consistent with Level V in the right ear and Level II in the left ear.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service. The claim for PTSD was recharacterized as a psychiatric disorder.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to fully and fairly consider the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. This includes obtaining private medical records, conducting a VA examination, and requesting further development based on new information provided by the Veteran.