Hearing loss decisions — 2016

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are at least as likely as not related to his military service, thus granting his claims for service connection.

The Board has remanded the case for a VA examination to address the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, due to inadequate opinions in previous examinations. Additional treatment records are also needed.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to schedule a Board videoconference hearing. The issues of entitlement to service connection for various conditions are pending.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine the Veteran's service in the Republic of Vietnam and to obtain relevant medical records. The claims will be remanded for these purposes.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including hearing loss and PTSD, were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of in-service noise exposure or stressors sufficient to establish service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus did not manifest during service or for many years thereafter, and are unrelated to any noise exposure during active duty service. Therefore, the claims for service connection have been denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and a VA audiological examination to reassess the severity of his service-connected left ear hearing loss disability. The issue will also be referred to VBA for consideration of whether an extraschedular evaluation is warranted.

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss disability is rated at 10 percent, and his claim for service connection of a right tympanic membrane perforation has not been granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability does not meet or approximate the criteria for a compensable rating under any applicable diagnostic code.

The Veteran withdrew his claim of entitlement to service connection for hearing loss related to his military service, and the Board dismissed the appeal.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss was denied as there is no current disability meeting the criteria for a hearing loss disability under VA regulations.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability is related to his military service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to provide him with a Board hearing at his current address. The issues on appeal include the initial rating for scars, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and a right knee disorder.

The Veteran's combined service-connected disabilities render him unemployable, and the Board grants his claim for TDIU.

The Veteran's appeal for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss has been dismissed due to his death.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to determine the nature, extent, and etiology of his claimed bilateral hearing loss and skin condition. The issues on appeal are related to service connection.

The Board found that the Veteran's hearing loss and hand disorders did not have their onset in service or within one year of his separation from service, and are not otherwise related to in-service noise exposure or any other etiological factor. As a result, the claims for service connection were denied.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral hearing loss disability and granted it. The claims for neck and lower back disabilities are pending, with new examinations and medical opinions required to determine their etiology.

The Board has dismissed the appeal for service connection for bilateral hearing loss as it was granted by a March 2016 rating decision. The hypertension claim is being remanded to the agency of original jurisdiction (AOJ).

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to service, and thus denied his claims for service connection.