Hearing loss decisions — 2014

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent, and he is granted TDIU based on his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the appellant's claims of entitlement to service connection for hearing loss disability and tinnitus. The VA will proceed with additional development, including scheduling a VA audiologic examination.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current hearing loss disability as defined by VA standards, and thus service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are as likely due to noise exposure during his military service, resulting in a grant of service connection for these conditions.

The VA examiner determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is not related to his service, including as secondary to traumatic encephalopathy.

The Board finds that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus are not related to his military service. The evidence does not establish continuity of symptomatology since service, and the VA examiner opined that the conditions are more likely due to natural aging process rather than noise exposure in service.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are found to be related to his in-service noise exposure, meeting the criteria for service connection.,Service connection is granted for degenerative disc disease of the neck as secondary to a service-connected lumbar spine disability.

The Board finds that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus are at least as likely as not caused by noise exposure during his military service.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed as he withdrew his claims for an increased rating for PTSD, for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, and for service connection for a bilateral knee condition prior to the Board making a decision.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are as likely as not related to his active service, including exposure to noise during military service.

The Board found that the cause of the Veteran's death, acute myelogenous leukemia, was not caused by or related to service or a service-connected disability. The appellant's argument for service connection based on exposure to herbicides and secondary to prostate cancer were not supported.

The Board has remanded the case due to a failure to schedule a videoconference hearing. The Veteran's claims for service connection and new and material evidence are still pending.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling an audiological examination to determine the nature and etiology of his hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need to obtain additional medical records and provide a new examination for the Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus claims.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus. After reviewing all available evidence, including VA and private medical records, the Board finds that the Veteran's current bilateral sensorineural hearing loss disability and tinnitus are likely due to his exposure to hazardous noise levels during service.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to his request for withdrawal of the appeals related to right ear hearing loss, migraine headaches as residuals of a traumatic brain injury, and left ear hearing loss. The remaining claims are TDIU and increased rating for PTSD.

The Board has remanded the case for a Travel Board hearing at the local RO in Muskogee, Oklahoma. The Veteran's appeal of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus is pending.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of fracture of the right 5th metacarpal and granted it. The claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is as likely as not related to his active military service, and therefore grants service connection for this condition.