Hearing loss decisions — 2014

The Veteran's claim for service connection for left ear hearing loss was previously denied in June 1999 and October 1999. No new and material evidence has been presented since then, thus the claim remains closed.,The Veteran's claim for increased rating for right ear hearing loss is currently rated at level III, which does not meet his request for a higher rating.

The Board has reopened the claims of service connection for a visual disorder, right ankle sprain, and bilateral hearing loss. However, it is unable to grant these claims as new evidence does not establish that current disabilities are related to service.

The Board has remanded the appeal due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's claimed conditions and their relationship to service. The issues of service connection for various disabilities are being reviewed.

The Board has remanded the case due to the submission of additional medical evidence, and it will be reviewed by the AOJ on the merits.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are found to be related to his service exposure to acoustic trauma, including aircraft noise and small arms fire. Service connection is granted for these conditions.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete records and insufficient verification of the appellant's claimed service. The claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus will be further developed.

The Board finds that the effective date for the grant of service connection for TBI with headaches should be October 1, 2006, but no earlier. The Veteran's original claim included symptoms later attributed to his TBI.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his military service, as there is no evidence of in-service noise exposure or a chronic disability during service. The Veteran's complaints of these conditions began more than four decades after service separation.

The Board found no evidence of a hearing loss disability during service or within one year after separation, and the Veteran's current hearing loss is not related to his military noise exposure. The claim for service connection for hearing loss was denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his military service, specifically noise exposure. However, the claim for tinnitus is granted as there is credible evidence linking it to in-service noise exposure.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is related to noise exposure during service, and thus grants service connection for this condition. The issue of bilateral hearing loss remains pending as there are insufficient records to determine its onset or relationship to service.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, rectal pain, and cerebrovascular accident were all denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support service connection for these conditions.

The Board found no evidence of right ear hearing loss meeting VA criteria and denied the claim. The appellant's left leg pain is not service-connected as there was no in-service injury or disease linked to his current condition.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to in-service acoustic trauma, and the Board has determined that service connection is warranted for both conditions.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to new and material evidence. However, both the reopening of the claim for bilateral hearing loss and the original denial of tinnitus remain unchanged.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination of his bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's tinnitus was found to be incurred as a result of his military service. The Board finds that the evidence is at least in equipoise that the Veteran has tinnitus as a result of service.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the evidence is in equipoise regarding whether these conditions are related to the Veteran's military service.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that new evidence received since the last final denial raises a reasonable possibility of substantiating these claims. The Board then determined that the Veteran's current hearing loss and tinnitus are at least as likely as not related to his military noise exposure.