Hearing loss decisions — 2016

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not shown to be related to his service, as they pre-existed service or are not otherwise linked to military noise exposure. The current conditions are considered to have resulted from post-service occupational and recreational noise exposure.

The Veteran's hearing loss disability is currently rated at 40 percent, the highest available rating for bilateral hearing loss. The Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted as there is no evidence of an exceptional pattern of hearing impairment or other factors indicating that the current schedular criteria are inadequate.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn and the case is dismissed as there are no remaining issues for review.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus and finds it as likely as not that his tinnitus is causally related to in-service noise exposure. The Veteran's initial compensable rating claim for bilateral hearing loss remains pending.

The Veteran's representative has withdrawn all the issues on appeal.

The Veteran's claims for hearing loss, tinnitus, headaches, back condition, joint pain, and psychiatric disorder were denied as there was no evidence of a nexus between the conditions and service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a back disability, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus have been reopened. The evidence now shows that the Veteran has current diagnoses of these conditions.,Service connection is granted for tinnitus as it is etiologically related to his period of active service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development of his VA treatment records.

The Veteran's lung cancer, which caused his death, was not service-connected. The Board found that the Veteran's service-connected conditions did not cause or contribute to his death.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination. The issues of service connection for hearing loss and skin disorder are still pending.

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

The Board finds that the Veteran does not have a current disability of right ear hearing loss for VA purposes. The claim is denied.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there is no current disability in either ear recognized as a VA hearing loss condition. The evidence does not establish a nexus between any current hearing loss or tinnitus and military service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to the RO for a Board hearing at a local VA office. The issues of entitlement to service connection for bilateral ear hearing loss and tinnitus are pending.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right ear hearing loss is related to his service, and therefore grants the claim for service connection.

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to inadequate development and need for additional medical opinions.

The Board found that the Veteran's hearing loss was not shown to be related to service, and denied his claim for service connection.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of entitlement to increased ratings for his service-connected tinea versicolor with acne and chondromalacia patella of both knees, as well as an earlier effective date for service connection for tinnitus. The Board found that there was no evidence of in-service noise exposure or hearing loss, and thus denied the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and consideration, including a new examination to determine if the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his service. The examiner should consider all reported noise exposure incidents during service.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently rated at 30 percent, the maximum schedular rating available. The Board found that his hearing loss does not warrant a higher rating based on the evidence of record.