Hearing loss decisions — 2015

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied, and the Board remanded some of his claims due to incomplete development.

The Board has decided to remand the case for further consideration of the Veteran's claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to additional evidence submitted by the Veteran.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is manifested by no more than Level I hearing in the right ear and no more than Level IV hearing in the left ear, which do not warrant a compensable disability rating.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim of service connection for tinnitus and granted it. The Veteran reported experiencing tinnitus since service, which he attributes to his exposure to noise in service as an indirect fire infantryman.,Service connection was also granted for low back disability. The Veteran reported having constant ringing in his ears since service.

The Board has determined that the appellant's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are due to noise exposure during his reserve military service, and thus service connection is granted.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to schedule him for a video conference hearing before a Veterans Law Judge of the Board.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to the RO for a hearing before a third Veterans Law Judge on the issues of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, skin disability (jungle rot), and respiratory disability (COPD).

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is dismissed as she withdrew her appeal.,There is no evidence of a perforation of the right eardrum (tympanic membrane) or carpal tunnel syndrome of the right upper extremity during or since her military service. Therefore, these claims are denied.,The Veteran does not have residuals of a cervical strain that can be attributed to her military service.,There is no evidence showing that the Veteran's pre-existing lumbar spine disorder was aggravated by her military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is not related to his military service, and therefore denied his claim for service connection. The hearing loss claim was remanded due to inadequate medical examination.

The Veteran's appeal of the claim for increased rating for bilateral hearing loss has been withdrawn. The case is being remanded to schedule a Travel Board hearing for the service connection claim for asthma.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left ear hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his military service, granting service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of his service-connected bilateral hearing loss, including functional effects. Additionally, all VA treatment records should be obtained.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling the Veteran for a VA psychiatric and audiological examination.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and granted it, finding that new evidence received since the last denial is sufficient to reopen the claim.

The Board found that the Veteran's current right and left ear hearing loss disabilities were not incurred or aggravated by service, as there was no significant change in hearing thresholds during service. The preexisting left ear hearing loss disability did not worsen due to service exposure.

The Board has determined that the appellant's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his military service, including any in-service noise exposure. The claims for service connection have been denied.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities precluded gainful employment as of March 1, 2006. The Board granted TDIU effective March 1, 2006.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current right ear hearing loss disability for VA purposes, and therefore service connection is denied.

The Board finds that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus are related to his in-service noise exposure, while his claim for a back disorder is denied due to lack of evidence.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and headaches due to potential issues with the examination provided in June 2010. Additional treatment records are needed.