Hearing loss decisions — 2014

The Board has determined that there is new and material evidence to reopen the claim for service connection for hearing loss. The case is being remanded to the RO via the Appeals Management Center (AMC).

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are found to be related to his military service, specifically exposure to acoustic trauma during active duty.,Service connection is granted for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated medical records and scheduling an audiological examination to determine the severity of his bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional medical opinions and for further development of his claims, including a VA examination.

The Board granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and denied the other issues on appeal. The Veteran's current bilateral mixed hearing loss is found to be due to noise exposure in service, while his lung disorder, jungle rot of the feet, and right leg disorder are not shown to be related to service.

The Board has determined that the VA examination is inadequate and additional evidence, including VA treatment records, must be obtained to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss did not begin during service and was not caused by any incident of service, thus denying his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to the RO for scheduling a Travel Board hearing. The issues of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and a rating in excess of 20 percent for right knee traumatic arthritis are pending.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and right ear hearing loss. The evidence did not establish a link between these conditions and his military service.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is currently rated at 30 percent, and the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted based on the evidence of record.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including scheduling a VA audiological examination to reassess his bilateral hearing loss disability and obtaining any relevant medical records. The case will be readjudicated after the additional development.

The Board denied service connection for right ear hearing loss, residuals of a head tumor (pituitary adenoma), memory loss secondary to residuals of a head tumor, blindness of the right eye secondary to residuals of a head tumor, and headaches. The decision is based on lack of evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to determine the nature and etiology of his hearing loss, diabetes mellitus, and glaucoma.

The Veteran has been granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, both of which are considered to have had their onset during his active military service. Service connection is also granted for a low back disability, as the evidence supports that it was incurred during service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to incomplete medical opinions and other issues.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and headaches are related to his military service, with the hearing loss likely due to noise exposure in service and the headaches potentially linked to a head injury during service. As such, these conditions have been granted service connection.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a medical examination to determine if the Veteran's eye disorders and bilateral hearing loss are related to his service-connected conditions or any in-service events.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was rated at 10 percent from March 17, 2006 through November 14, 2011. The Board found that the criteria for a disability rating of 10 percent were met.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for a new VA examination for his service-connected bilateral high frequency hearing loss, and for obtaining all outstanding treatment records from the Augusta VAMC. Additionally, the claims for reopening of service connection for neck disorder and right foot heel spur must be issued a statement of the case.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss are related to his active military service, and he is granted service connection for these conditions. The Veteran also meets the criteria for a TDIU based on his service-connected PTSD.