Hearing loss decisions — 2014

The Veteran's hearing loss symptoms are not considered a disability for VA purposes, and thus he does not meet the criteria for service connection.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, and PTSD. New evidence shows current diagnoses of these conditions.,However, the preponderance of evidence does not support a finding that any of these conditions were incurred or aggravated by military service.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied as there was no prior informal or formal claim received before April 4, 2011.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, but dismissed the appeal for right ear hearing loss as the Veteran withdrew his appeal prior to a decision.

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings and effective dates was denied. The Board found that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating for allergic rhinitis, and his claims for service connection were based on new evidence received after the one-year period of limitation.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating at any point during the appeal period.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current hearing loss disability for VA purposes and there is no evidence of tinnitus in service or within one year post-service. As such, his claims for service connection are denied.

The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of VA examinations and incomplete medical records, and the Veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus are being returned to the AOJ for further development.

The Board has determined that the Veteran is entitled to service connection for a low back disability and bilateral hearing loss disability because the evidence satisfactorily establishes that these disabilities originated during his period of active service.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are found to be related to service, thus service connection is granted for both conditions.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is being remanded due to the need for further development and consideration of his claims, including an audiometric examination.

The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for his right ankle disability and bilateral hearing loss was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating under any applicable diagnostic codes.

The Board has remanded the case due to issues with service connection for left ear hearing loss and rating for right ear hearing loss. The Veteran must be provided a Statement of the Case (SOC) regarding these issues.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has been evaluated as noncompensable since May 2010, based on the audiometric results provided by VA examinations in June 2010 and January 2012. The evaluations did not meet criteria for an exceptional pattern of hearing or alternative rating under Table VIA.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not meet the criteria for service connection for PTSD or an acquired mental disorder other than PTSD, to include anxiety disorder NOS. The Veteran's claimed conditions have been denied.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the claims for service connection for PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus. Service connection is granted for tinnitus due to exposure to acoustic trauma in active service.

The Board found that there is no evidence to support the Veteran's claims for service connection of bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, as they are not related to his military service. The claim for thoracolumbar spine condition was remanded due to insufficient evidence.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, finding that none met the criteria for disability or were related to his military service.

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

The Board has remanded the case for a VA medical examination to determine the current severity of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and to address whether his audiological and vestibular symptoms are related to the service-connected ear condition causing his bilateral hearing loss.