Hearing loss decisions — 2016

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, and neuropathy. The effective date of the award is August 25, 2014.

The Board found that the Veteran's right ear hearing loss is not related to service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current disability of left ear hearing loss, and therefore cannot establish service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right ear hearing loss disability is causally linked to his exposure to hazardous levels of noise in service, and grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's service-connected left ear hearing loss is rated as Level IV, which does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are service-connected, with reasonable doubt resolving in favor of the Veteran.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hearing loss in his right ear is related to service exposure, and thus grants service connection for this condition. The left ear hearing loss does not meet VA disability criteria.

The Board has remanded the claims due to inadequate medical opinion and new evidence is needed. The Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus are being reviewed again for a determination of service connection.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, but found that the Veteran's hearing impairment does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating under VA regulations. The other claims were also addressed and denied.

The Veteran's initial rating for bilateral hearing loss remains at 10 percent, as his condition does not warrant a higher evaluation based on the available schedular criteria.

Service connection is granted for tinnitus, and service connection for bilateral hearing loss (left ear) is granted.,The Veteran's left ear hearing loss meets the regulatory thresholds to be considered a disability.

The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate examination in determining whether the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is related to service, specifically noise exposure from working alongside howitzers. The claim will be reconsidered with a new examination.

The Veteran's claim of entitlement to an initial compensable evaluation for bilateral hearing loss disability has been granted.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including a VA examination.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his in-service noise exposure, and thus service connection is granted for both conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, skin disability, hypertension, and low back disability. The decision found no current diagnosis of these conditions prior to or during the pendency of the claim, and there was insufficient evidence linking any diagnosed disabilities to military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus was incurred in service and is granted service connection.

The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for left ear hearing loss and granted it, finding that there is at least a reasonable possibility that the Veteran's preexisting hearing loss was aggravated by his active duty service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining private treatment records and scheduling VA examinations to assess the severity of his right shoulder disability and bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has determined that service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability is not warranted due to the Veteran's failure to meet VA's definition of a disability. Service connection for tinnitus was denied as there is no evidence linking it to service.