Hearing loss decisions — 2018

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been dismissed due to the death of the claimant.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal before the Board could make a decision, so the case is dismissed.

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss has been rated as 0 percent disabling throughout the appeal period, and no higher rating is warranted.

The Board has dismissed all service connection claims as they are related to the Veteran's death.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the etiology of the Veteran's tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss. The Veteran is not entitled to service connection for these conditions.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and remanded the case for further development regarding a back disability.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for left ear hearing loss and bilateral tinnitus due to noise exposure during service. The VA will obtain all relevant records, schedule a VA examination by an otolaryngologist, and provide a medical opinion on whether current hearing loss and tinnitus are related to in-service noise exposure.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims of reopening his service connection for bilateral hearing loss and an acquired psychiatric disorder (including depression and PTSD) secondary to service-connected sinusitis. The cases are remanded for further development.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss. The Veteran is seeking service connection for this condition, which he claims was caused by noise exposure during military service.

The Board has granted the Veteran's petition to reopen his claim of entitlement to service connection for a left knee disability. The claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been denied.

The Board has decided to remand the claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to new evidence submitted by the Veteran, including a May 2014 and May 2015 private audiogram.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection, hearing loss rating, and right wrist arthritis rating due to incomplete records and need for additional medical opinions. The TDIU claim is also remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's current hearing loss is due to his active duty service.

The Board has decided to remand the cases of bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus for further development, including obtaining service personnel records and providing an addendum opinion regarding whether these conditions are related to service.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus as there was no evidence of a current disability related to in-service noise exposure, and continuity of symptoms could not be established.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for right ear hearing loss and increased rating for left ear hearing loss due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the relationship between his current hearing loss and in-service noise exposure, as well as issues with the use of speech discrimination scores.

The Veteran's application to reopen the claim for a bilateral hearing loss disability was granted. The claims for service connection for both a bilateral foot disability and a bilateral hearing loss disability were denied.

The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for service-connected bilateral sensorineural hearing loss is remanded due to the need for updated VA treatment records and a current examination.

The Board has denied a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss and remanded the case due to insufficient evidence. The claim for PTSD remains pending.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to in-service exposure to hazardous noise, and therefore grants service connection for these conditions.