Hearing loss decisions — 2013

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred or aggravated by service, as there is no evidence of a current disability within one year post-service. The Board found that the Veteran did not experience chronic hearing loss symptomatology since his separation from service.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to additional development being required. The claim will be reconsidered after this additional development is completed.

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to his death, and the Board has no jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits of this claim.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has been evaluated as noncompensable since January 27, 2006. The most recent VA examination in October 2010 showed no worse than Level I acuity in both ears.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are not related to his active duty service.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his military service, with no presumption or secondary connection involved.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is not related to his military service, as evidenced by normal hearing at discharge and no significant shift in thresholds from induction to discharge. The Veteran's testimony regarding onset of hearing loss during service was found to be less credible.

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss is related to his military service, and the Board grants service connection for this disability.

The Board has determined that the preponderance of evidence is against a finding of tinnitus in service or during the appeal period, and thus denied the claim for service connection.

The Board found that the Veteran's pre-existing left ear hearing loss did not worsen during his period of active service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's right ear hearing loss, including whether it is related to service. The claim for service connection will be denied until further notice.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has been evaluated as noncompensable, with the most recent VA examination showing Level II hearing loss in both ears.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to obtain and retain substantially gainful employment, warranting a TDIU.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are likely due to noise exposure during his period of active service, granting service connection for these conditions.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claims, including obtaining medical opinions regarding his hearing loss and respiratory conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and the criteria for a TDIU have been met.

The Board has determined that further development is needed, including obtaining an examination and etiological opinions for the Veteran's claims of bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. The appeal will be remanded to the RO via the Appeals Management Center (AMC).

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain an adequate VA examination and address the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. The original June 2009 VA examination opinion was found to be inadequate due to inaccuracies in the facts considered, and the need to consider additional evidence.

The Board found that the Veteran did not file a timely Notice of Disagreement (NOD) to the December 2008 rating decision, which denied his claims for service connection for various conditions. As such, the appeal was denied.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral high frequency sensorineural hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current disabilities are related to his military service.