Hearing loss decisions — 2017

The Veteran requested to withdraw his appeal for service connection for a heart condition, and the Board has dismissed this issue.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection for left ear hearing loss and tinnitus are granted, as there is at least equipoise evidence in favor of a finding that these conditions are related to his active service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were denied, with the effective date of March 10, 2003 being granted for the reopened claim.

The Board has determined that there is no current bilateral hearing loss disability for VA purposes, and thus the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied.

The Board found that the Veteran's right and left ear hearing loss were not incurred or aggravated by his military service, as evidenced by normal hearing at separation from service. The pre-existing hearing loss did not worsen during service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection of leukoplakia was reopened and granted. His hearing loss disability is rated at 10% prior to May 28, 2014 and in excess of 10% thereafter.

The Veteran's initial claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied as his hearing impairment did not meet the criteria for any higher evaluation under VA's schedular guidelines.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his military service, with noise exposure being a significant factor. After considering all evidence of record, including VA examinations and private medical opinions, the Board finds that service connection is warranted for both conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral tinnitus and hearing loss are related to his military service, resolving doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Veteran's hypertension and bilateral hearing loss have not met the criteria for a compensable disability rating at any point on appeal.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has been evaluated as noncompensable under the schedular criteria, and no exceptional pattern of hearing impairment is present. The Board finds that a compensable rating for this disability is not warranted.

The Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability is found to be related to noise exposure during his military service, and the claim for service connection is granted.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not, either individually or collectively, preclude him from securing and following substantially gainful employment consistent with his education and occupational experience.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining missing service treatment records and providing medical opinions regarding the etiology of his right ear hearing loss.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has been rated as noncompensable throughout the appeal period. The Board finds that he does not meet the criteria for a compensable disability rating.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was not manifested by worse than level I hearing in either ear, resulting in a noncompensable schedular rating. The Board has remanded the case for further development and consideration of whether an extraschedular rating is warranted.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, in and of themselves, do not preclude him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability is due to in-service acoustic trauma and has granted service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss has been denied as his current hearing levels do not meet the criteria for a disability under VA regulations. The Board finds that he does not have a current hearing loss disability for VA purposes.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current condition is related to military noise exposure. Service connection was denied for right ear hearing loss due to a lack of evidence showing a nexus between in-service noise exposure and current hearing loss.