Hearing loss decisions — 2017

The Veteran's tinnitus was found to have manifested during active duty service, and the Board has granted service connection for this condition. The hearing loss claim is remanded due to a lack of medical evidence and need for further examination.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and sleep apnea did not manifest during service or are otherwise related to his military service, thus denying service connection for both conditions.

The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss is being remanded due to the failure of the Veteran to report for a VA examination scheduled in June 2016. The case will be readjudicated after scheduling another examination.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional VA examinations and consideration of new evidence. The claims include service connection for cardiovascular disease, a rating in excess of 10 percent for bilateral otitis media, and an increased rating for bilateral conductive hearing loss.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional development and examination of his right wrist disability, as well as issuance of a Supplemental Statement of the Case.

The Board found that the Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus did not warrant direct service connection because they were not related to service.,For TMJ, the Board found that it is at least as likely as not (50 percent or greater probability) that the Veteran's headaches are caused by his TMJ.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn, and the Board is dismissing the case.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for heart disease and an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there was no evidence to support these claims.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has been evaluated as noncompensable, with Level IV hearing in the right ear and Level II hearing in the left ear.

The Veteran's claims are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and providing VA examinations.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including a VA examination to address the etiology of the Veteran's metastatic malignant melanoma and Meniere's disease. The claims are currently pending.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are causally related to his military service, including exposure to loud noises during combat. As a result, the claim for service connection is granted.

The Veteran's appeal was denied for a higher rating for bilateral hearing loss disability and for service connection for various conditions, including diabetes mellitus, adrenal gland tumor, glaucoma, hidradenitis skin disability, colon polyps, reflux esophagus, hypothyroidism, sleep apnea, restrictive lung disease, tumor neoplasm of the right side, and hypertension. The appeal was also denied for reopening claims for service connection for removal of all toenails except for the left great toenail.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional medical records and for VA examinations to assess the current level of his hearing disability, right shoulder disability, and left shoulder disability.

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

The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back disability and bilateral hearing loss do not meet the criteria for service connection or higher initial ratings, respectively.

The Veteran does not have a current disability of bilateral hearing loss for VA compensation purposes.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service connection claim for bilateral hearing loss is granted as it meets the criteria for direct service connection due to a current disability (bilateral hearing loss) meeting VA's definition of hearing loss during service, continuity of symptomatology since service, and no evidence against this finding.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral hearing loss disability was denied as there is no evidence of such during service or within one year post-service.,Service connection for partial amputation of the left index finger was also denied, with the condition noted at service entrance and not aggravated by any in-service disease or injury.

The Board has reopened the claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, psychiatric disorder, COPD, and hypertension. The evidence received since the May 2009 rating decision is new and material, raising a reasonable possibility of substantiating these claims.