Hearing loss decisions — 2015

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss is granted service connection, and he is now rated at a 10 percent rating for his left ear hearing loss. His left knee disability is also granted service connection, with a separate 20 percent rating for instability.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA outpatient records and scheduling a VA examination to determine if the Veteran requires aid and attendance due to service-connected disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus disabilities are related to his active service, with symptoms beginning during service and continuing since then. As a result, the criteria for service connection have been met.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is manifested by no worse than Level III hearing in the right ear and no worse than Level II hearing in the left ear, resulting in a finding of noncompensable disability.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeal for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, thus the issues are dismissed.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left ear hearing loss did not originate in service or for many years thereafter and is not related to any incident during active service. The criteria for establishing service connection are met for tinnitus, as it was caused by in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss has been evaluated as noncompensable throughout the appeal period, with no more than Level I hearing acuity in the right ear and no more than Level II hearing acuity in the left ear.

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

The Veteran's claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss is being remanded due to the invalidity of his 1968 separation examination and a need for new medical opinions.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining private treatment records related to hearing loss and skin disability. The Veteran's claims will be adjudicated again after these records are obtained.

The Board has remanded the case to obtain VA medical records and conduct a VA examination. The Veteran's initial evaluation for bilateral hearing loss prior to January 24, 2015, and in excess of 10 percent since that date remains on appeal.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred in or aggravated by service, as there is no evidence of a chronic condition during service or within one year after separation. The VA examiner found that the current hearing loss was less likely than not related to service.

The Board has granted service connection for a cervical spine disorder, lumbosacral spine disorder, hearing loss of the left ear, and tinnitus of the left ear as these conditions are related to military service.,Service connection is granted based on direct evidence showing a link between current disabilities and military service.

The Veteran's bilateral sensorineural hearing loss has not been found to meet the criteria for a compensable rating under VA disability evaluation tables.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals on the issues of increased ratings for post-traumatic stress disorder, left ear hearing loss, and coronary artery disease.

The Board found that new and material evidence had not been received to reopen the claim for service connection for right ear hearing loss, as the Veteran's history of right ear hearing loss was noted in prior records. The claim for left ear hearing loss remains denied.

The Veteran was granted service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, diagnosed as PTSD, due to combat exposure during his military service.,Service connection was not established for a bilateral hearing loss disability.

The Board found that there is no evidence linking the Veteran's current tinnitus disability to her military service, and thus denied service connection for tinnitus. For bilateral hearing loss, the claim was not substantiated by new and material evidence.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to his death during the pendency of the appeal.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the Veteran's claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The Veteran served in a noisy environment, and there is credible evidence linking his current hearing loss disability to his military noise exposure. Therefore, service connection for bilateral hearing loss is granted.