Hearing loss decisions — 2014

The Board has ordered the case back to the AOJ for additional development, including returning an examination report and issuing a supplemental statement of the case (SSOC). The Veteran's claim will be reconsidered based on the new evidence.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal prior to the Board's decision, effectively dismissing the case.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to a lack of chronic symptoms in service or continuous post-service symptoms, and the evidence did not show that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability was caused by noise exposure during service.

The Board has decided to remand the case for further development of records related to the Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus disabilities.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for right ear and left ear hearing loss disabilities, finding that there was no evidence of a current disability or in-service injury related to these conditions. The Board also noted that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for a hearing loss disability under VA regulations.

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

The Board found that the Veteran does not have right ear hearing loss for VA purposes and his left ear hearing loss is not related to his active duty training, thus denying service connection.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and an acquired psychiatric disorder, finding that there was no evidence of a causal relationship between his current conditions and his active duty service.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable initial rating for his bilateral hearing loss disability is being remanded to schedule him for a videoconference hearing.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and scheduling a VA examination by a Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist to assess the Veteran's employability due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that these conditions are etiologically related to noise exposure during his military service.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for a new VA audiological examination to assess the current severity of his service-connected bilateral hearing loss, and for obtaining any outstanding treatment records.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has been evaluated as noncompensable, with the most recent VA examination showing Level II hearing impairment in both ears. The Board finds that this level of disability does not warrant a compensable rating.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss did not increase in disability during service and thus could not be attributed to his military noise exposure. The VA examinations indicated no worsening of the preexisting condition, leading to a denial of service connection.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and knee condition are found to be related to service, with the hearing loss attributed to noise exposure during service and the knee condition due to arthritis. The claims for these conditions have been granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right ear hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his military service, with credible evidence of symptoms since discharge.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, chronic bronchitis, and COPD due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss did not have its clinical onset in service, was not exhibited within the first post-service year, and is not otherwise related to active duty. Therefore, the claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss has been denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his military service, as there is no evidence of in-service noise exposure or any complaints or diagnoses of these conditions during service. The VA examinations and medical opinions have concluded that the current hearing loss and tinnitus are less likely due to service.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current symptoms are related to his in-service noise exposure.,For right ear hearing loss, the Board determined that there is no evidence of a disability meeting VA criteria for a hearing loss condition.