Hearing loss decisions — 2013

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is related to service, and therefore grants entitlement to service connection for tinnitus. The decision regarding bilateral hearing loss disability remains pending as it was not adjudicated in this appeal.

The Veteran's appeal includes claims for service connection for various conditions, including hearing loss, tinnitus, a lumbar spine disorder, a right elbow disorder, gastritis, and PTSD. The RO has denied these claims in part and remanded the case for further development.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his military service, with all doubts resolved in favor of the Veteran.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is due to acoustic trauma sustained in service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including coronary artery disease, post-traumatic stress disorder, hearing loss, and tinnitus, made him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation from April 19, 2006, to December 28, 2009.

The Board has remanded the case to allow the Veteran to have a videoconference hearing before a Veterans Law Judge at the RO regarding his claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, and bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has granted service connection for epistaxis, but the issue of service connection for bilateral hearing loss remains pending and requires further development.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are etiologically related to his active service, granting service connection for both conditions.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and residuals of cold injuries of the feet due to lack of evidence showing these conditions were incurred or aggravated during active military service.

The Board finds that the Veteran's tinnitus is at least as likely as not caused by his military service, and grants service connection for tinnitus. The decision regarding bilateral hearing loss remains pending.

The Board has remanded the case due to an unavailable hearing transcript and instructed that a new hearing should be scheduled.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including a new VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected bilateral hearing loss disability and its impact on his employability.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD is rated at 50 percent, which is the maximum schedular rating available for this condition.

The Board is remanding the case due to issues with representation and outstanding VA treatment records need to be obtained.

The Veteran's hearing loss rating was improperly reduced from 30 percent to 10 percent effective July 1, 2012. The RO failed to consider the Veteran's recent audiometric evaluations and instead relied on older evaluations which did not meet the requirements for an exceptional pattern of impairment.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and denied service connection for right shoulder disability and neck disability. The Veteran's current hearing loss is presumed to have developed due to noise exposure during service, while the evidence does not support a finding of in-service injury or aggravation for his right shoulder and neck disabilities.

The Veteran's tinnitus is service-connected and his initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss has not been granted.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development due to new evidence submitted by the Veteran.

The Board has remanded this case to the RO for issuance of a Statement of the Case as to all issues related to service connection and CUE, including bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities, and defective vision.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss does not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation.