Hearing loss decisions — 2013

The Board has determined that a new VA examination is needed to properly adjudicate the appellant's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, as the original opinion provided by the VA examiner was inadequate.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including sending proper VCAA notice and obtaining treatment records. The VA will also schedule the Veteran for a VA examination to assess his current disabilities and their likely etiology.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings were denied. The Veteran was granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, but not with a compensable rating.

The Board has determined that additional development is necessary prior to the adjudication of these claims due to missing VA treatment records and other relevant evidence.

The Veteran's tinnitus was found to be incurred in active service and granted service connection.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred in or aggravated by service. Bilateral hearing loss was not shown to have had onset during service, and service connection under presumptive provisions is not established. Tinnitus was also not shown to be related to service.

The Board finds that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to acoustic trauma during military service, warranting service connection for these conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are granted, with the condition that monetary benefits will be subject to applicable regulations.

The Veteran's claim for TDIU was denied as his service-connected disabilities did not render him unemployable, considering the nonservice-connected disabilities and previous unemployability status.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss was denied, and his claim for an increased rating for right ankle degenerative joint disease is pending. The Board has remanded the right ankle issue to provide a Statement of the Case.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability is not related to service, including his in-service acoustic trauma. Therefore, the claim for service connection was denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have PTSD or bilateral hearing loss due to service, and therefore denied both claims.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his military service, with a threshold shift noted during service. The Veteran is granted service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran seeks service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain service records from the Nevada Air National Guard and to provide the Veteran with an additional VA audiological examination.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is not related to his active service, and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination and the retrieval of relevant VA treatment records.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining SSA records and VA medical records.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his active service. The preponderance of evidence is against a finding that the Veteran's hearing loss or tinnitus were incurred during his military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have right ear hearing loss that manifested during or as a result of active military service, but finds in favor of granting service connection for tinnitus.

The Board found that the appellant did not have active military service and therefore does not meet the requirements of basic eligibility for VA benefits.