Hearing loss decisions — 2012

The Board has remanded the case for further development and examination to determine the etiology of the Veteran's right ear hearing loss and left knee disability.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus has been denied. The evidence does not establish current disabilities in these conditions.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is found to be causally related to service, and the Board grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service connection claim for bilateral hearing loss is granted, as his service likely led to his hearing loss.

The Veteran's left ear hearing loss was noted at entrance to service and the presumption of soundness does not apply. The Board finds that his left ear hearing loss was not aggravated by service.,There is insufficient competent medical evidence on file for the Secretary to make a decision on the claim regarding right ear hearing loss.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, including consideration of his in-service noise exposure. The case will be remanded for these actions.

The Board finds that the Veteran's pre-existing bilateral hearing loss was not aggravated by active duty service, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his service, with current evidence in relative equipoise on whether these conditions are directly related to his military service.

The Board finds that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus disabilities were incurred as a result of acoustic trauma during his active military service, warranting service connection.

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

The Board found no evidence of hearing loss or tinnitus during service and denied the Veteran's claims for service connection, concluding that any current conditions are not related to military service.

The Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for left ear hearing loss was denied as there is no current disability meeting the threshold requirements for VA purposes.

The Veteran's claim for higher ratings for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss and right ear cholesteatoma was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating prior to December 28, 2005, or for a rating in excess of 10 percent on and after December 28, 2005.

The Veteran is unable to maintain substantially gainful employment due to his service-connected disabilities, and the Board finds that these conditions alone render him unemployable.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, an acquired psychiatric disorder including PTSD, and a seizure disorder have been denied. The Board found that there is no evidence of chronic bilateral hearing loss throughout the pendency of this appeal.

The Board denied service connection for left ear hearing loss and hypertension, finding that the evidence did not support a link between these conditions and military service.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss was rated at 30 percent prior to April 19, 2011 and increased to 50 percent effective April 19, 2011. The rating is based on audiometric test results.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is related to his military service and has granted service connection for this condition. The decision on bilateral hearing loss remains pending as further examination and evidence are needed.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development of his claims, including obtaining VA and private medical records.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his active service, including exposure to acoustic trauma. The claims for service connection were granted as direct service connection.