Hearing loss decisions — 2013

The VA determined that the Veteran's right ear hearing loss disability was not incurred in service and denied his claim. The Board found no evidence linking the current hearing loss to military service, including noise exposure.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for cognitive disorder, including memory loss, and bilateral hearing loss. The appellant maintained that he experienced a head injury in service which caused his current problems with memory loss.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus disabilities were not incurred in service, as there was no evidence of a chronic disability present during or within one year after service. The VA examiner concluded that it was less likely than not that his current hearing loss and tinnitus were related to his military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is not related to service, and his hearing loss is less likely than not due to noise exposure in service. The claim for service connection for both conditions is denied.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and a psychiatric disorder, including PTSD. The Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for PTSD has been recharacterized as a claim of entitlement for a psychiatric disorder.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to his failure to report for a VA audiometry examination, and the case will be reviewed by the RO/AMC.

The Board has requested a VA examination to determine if the Veteran currently has bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus, and whether these conditions are related to service. The case is being remanded for this purpose.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss is currently rated as noncompensable. The Board finds that the evidence does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating based on the audiometric test results provided.

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss is currently rated as noncompensable under the rating criteria, and does not meet the requirements for a higher evaluation.

The Board found that the Veteran's current right and left ear hearing loss disabilities are not service-connected as they did not develop during his military service or due to in-service noise exposure. The VA audiologist opined that the Veteran's hearing loss is less likely related to service.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the claim for service connection for left ear hearing loss. The Veteran's current left ear hearing loss disability is found to be due to or a result of his active service, as it was noted at entrance into active service and increased in severity during service.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss did not have its clinical onset in service and is not otherwise related to active duty. A sensorineural hearing loss was not exhibited within the first post-service year.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have hearing loss or tinnitus that is attributable to his active military service. The VA examinations and medical opinions provided no evidence linking these conditions to his time in service.

The Board has decided on the service connection claims, but new evidence submitted by the Veteran after the initial decision was not considered. The case is being remanded to consider this new evidence and determine if it should be used to vacate or modify the previous decisions.

The Board finds that the evidence does not support a finding of service connection for any of the claimed conditions.,There is no clear and unmistakable evidence (CUE) to overturn previous denial decisions.

The Board has granted service connection for left ear hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are at least as likely as not related to his military service.

The Veteran's tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss have been rated at the maximum 10 percent disability rating under the applicable VA Schedule for Rating Disabilities. The evidence does not support a higher rating for either condition during the entire initial rating period.

The Veteran withdrew all appeals prior to the Board's decision.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for vision disorder, lumbar spine degenerative disc disease, cervical spine strain with degenerative arthritis, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus. The evidence did not support a finding of service connection for these conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is likely due to in-service noise exposure and grants service connection for this condition. The claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss remains pending as there are no current VA purposes disabilities documented.