Hearing loss decisions — 2013

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability is related to his active duty military service, and thus grants the claim for service connection.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and providing the Veteran with a new examination to assess his employability due to service-connected disabilities. The claim will also be referred to the Director of Compensation and Pension Services for consideration of an extraschedular TDIU rating.

The Board found that the Veteran's current hearing loss and tinnitus did not have onset during active service, were not caused by an event, disease, or injury during active service, and thus denied his claims for service connection.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn, and the case is dismissed.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are service-connected as they were caused by noise exposure during his military service.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is not related to his period of service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to outstanding VA treatment records and need for new VA examinations.

The Veteran's appeal was timely filed, and the August 2006 rating decision granting service connection for tinnitus and assigning a 10 percent initial evaluation is upheld. The Veteran does not meet criteria for an increased rating for his tinnitus.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection on the issues of right shoulder, right knee, left knee, bilateral eye disorder, right ear hearing loss, and sinusitis has been withdrawn.

The Board found no evidence of a current hearing loss disability or tinnitus, and the VA examiner concluded that any current tinnitus is not related to service. The Veteran's claims for service connection were therefore denied.

The Veteran's appeal was denied for increased ratings and service connection claims. The gunshot wound residuals of the right shoulder with involvement of Muscle Group III are currently rated at 30 percent, while the other conditions have been addressed.

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 considering a VA examination and medical opinion. The case will be returned for further review.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examination and opinion regarding the etiology of his current conditions.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was not shown to be related to his military service, and the claim for service connection was denied.

The Board finds that the Veteran's current low back disability is not related to his active duty service. The evidence does not support a finding of in-service injury or disease, and there is no medical opinion linking the current condition to service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have bilateral hearing loss disability for VA compensation purposes and thus service connection is denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his service, as there is no evidence of a nexus between these conditions and noise exposure in service. The Veteran's current hearing loss was noted on separation examination but did not manifest until after service, and his tinnitus began during service.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain additional medical evidence and to arrange for the Veteran to undergo VA examination. The claims will be considered on the basis of the existing record.

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

The Veteran has a current bilateral hearing loss disability that is at least as likely as not related to his noise exposure during service, and the Board grants service connection for this condition.