Hearing loss decisions — 2013

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left ear hearing loss disability is related to his active service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for an increased rating of 30 percent for bilateral hearing loss before the Board could make a decision.

The Veteran's service connection claim for bilateral hearing loss is granted as his current hearing loss disability is found to be related to in-service acoustic trauma.

The Board has granted a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss from August 7, 1973 to June 30, 1974. The Veteran's appeal was previously denied prior to this decision.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining an etiology opinion regarding the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran is seeking service connection for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss, as well as an increased rating for his right forefoot disability. The Board has found that the evidence is in equipoise regarding whether the Veteran's tinnitus is related to active duty service, but finds no such equipoise on the issue of bilateral hearing loss or the right forefoot disability.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for tinnitus, finding that it is proximately due to or the result of his service-connected right ear hearing loss.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current disability for any of the conditions he claims, and therefore service connection is denied.

The Board found no evidence of a link between the Veteran's in-service noise exposure and his current hearing loss disability, and thus denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability prior to September 15, 2010 did not meet the criteria for an initial compensable evaluation.

The Veteran's substantive appeal was not timely filed, and the Board has dismissed the appeal due to this jurisdictional issue.

The Veteran seeks service connection for a bilateral hearing loss disability, which he asserts began during his military service. The VA examiner found that the current bilateral hearing loss disability is not related to service due to normal hearing at separation and noise exposure in service did not cause the current condition.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is being remanded due to the need for a new medical opinion regarding whether his current hearing loss manifested during or as a result of active military service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling examinations to address the issues on appeal.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are granted, but her claim for an initial compensable evaluation for her abdominal scar is denied.

The Board has determined that a new examination and opinion are necessary to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus. The case is being remanded for these purposes.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss and declined to reopen his previously denied claim of service connection for hypertension. The Veteran is not entitled to a higher rating for his hearing loss, as there was no new and material evidence submitted to reopen his hypertension claim.

The Veteran's hearing loss disability, when evaluated according to VA rating criteria, does not meet the threshold for a compensable evaluation.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to address the etiology of his bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, as well as obtain any outstanding VA treatment records.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability has been rated as noncompensable under the VA rating schedule, and no higher rating is warranted.