Hearing loss decisions — 2013

The Board found no evidence of a current bilateral hearing loss disability related to service, and denied the Veteran's claim for service connection.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to evidentiary deficiencies identified in a previous decision by the Court. The Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for right ear hearing loss is being reviewed again.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals in a June 2013 statement, thus the appeals are dismissed.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for a new VA examination and medical opinion to determine the etiology of his bilateral hearing loss, which was present during the appeal period.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have current hearing loss in the right ear that is causally related to service, nor did he have hearing loss to a compensable degree within one year of service.

The Board denied the Veteran's request to restore a 40% evaluation for his bilateral hearing loss and denied his claims for increased ratings.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to newly obtained service treatment records. The issues of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, low back disability (secondary to left knee disability), and right knee disability (secondary to left knee disability) are pending.

The Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss was not incurred in or aggravated by his period of active service. The VA examiner concluded that the Veteran's hearing loss is less likely as not caused by or a result of military noise exposure.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional medical records and for a VA examination. The claims will be reviewed again based on the new evidence.

The Board has determined that additional development is necessary prior to the adjudication of these claims, including obtaining service treatment records and scheduling VA examinations for acid reflux and allergies/rhinorrhea.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete records and the need for a VA examination to determine if the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is related to his active service, including in-service acoustic trauma from artillery units firing over a bunker in Vietnam.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and for right and left knee disabilities. The decision also addressed other issues, but these are not included in this summary.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to obtain the Veteran's complete service personnel records and VA treatment records, as well as his current contact information. The claims will be remanded for further action.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for otitis media and bilateral hearing loss, but these issues are now remanded for further development.

The Board has determined that the appellant's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are as likely as not related to in-service noise exposure, and service connection is granted for these conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his military service, as there is no credible evidence of in-service noise exposure or a nexus between his current conditions and service. The VA examination did not find any connection.

The preponderance of medical and lay evidence does not support a finding that the Veteran's currently diagnosed bilateral hearing loss disability is related to his military service.

The Veteran's service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss, left ankle arthritis, and scalp laceration are granted. The Veteran has a history of these conditions during his military service.

The Board found that the Veteran's current right ear hearing loss disability is not related to his military service and denied his claim for service connection.