Hearing loss decisions — 2014

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including a VA audiology examination to determine the etiology of his current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and examination, including obtaining hearing test results from the Veteran's employer. The claim of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss will be reconsidered after this additional evidence is obtained.

The Board finds that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of left ear hearing loss for VA purposes, and thus cannot establish service connection. The initial rating claim for right ear hearing loss is also denied.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's claims are supported by competent and credible evidence. The decision also notes that a new VA opinion is needed to address whether the Veteran's hearing loss was caused by in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's tinnitus has been granted service connection. The claims for bilateral hearing loss and bilateral knee disabilities are remanded.

The Veteran's tinnitus is established as service-connected due to his bilateral hearing loss. The claims for initial compensable evaluation of bilateral hearing loss, service connection for left knee disability, and right knee disability are granted.

The Board found that service connection for tinnitus is granted, but denied service connection for right ear and left ear hearing loss as the evidence did not support a finding of in-service noise exposure or current disability.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to his failure to appear at a scheduled videoconference hearing. The case will be reviewed by the Board after scheduling another hearing.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. The cases are being remanded for further development, including a VA examination.

The Veteran does not have a diagnosed bilateral hearing loss disability that is etiologically related to military service. The Board finds the June 2010 VA audiological examination and opinion to be of significant probative value in determining whether there is a relationship between the Veteran's current left ear sensorineural hearing loss disability and his military service.

The Veteran's claims of increased evaluations for hearing loss and tinnitus, as well as service connection for ischemic heart disease were granted with an effective date of May 30, 2008. The decision also found that the October 2008 denial of these claims contained clear and unmistakable error (CUE).

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss is denied. The Board finds that a new examination is needed to determine the current severity of his hearing loss disability.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's preexisting hearing loss worsened during his active duty. Service connection was denied for tinnitus due to lack of credible evidence linking it to service.

The Veteran's service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are granted as the evidence is in equipoise, with a causal relationship to noise exposure during active duty.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were incurred during his active military service, thus granting service connection for both conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his military service, including exposure to noise during basic training. As a result, the claims for service connection have been granted.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and conducting examinations to assess the severity of his service-connected thoracic scoliosis and lumbar lordosis, as well as any current bilateral knee and hearing loss disabilities. The TDIU claim is also part of this appeal.

The Veteran's appeal of the issue regarding a tumor in the ear has been dismissed. The case is being remanded for further action on his claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability is at least as likely as not caused by his military service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's currently diagnosed bilateral hearing loss was not present during active service, did not manifest within one year of discharge from service, and did not develop as a result of any incident during service. The Board finds that the preponderance of the evidence is against his claim seeking service connection for bilateral hearing loss.