Hearing loss decisions — 2019

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and cervical spine arthritis are found to be related to service, thus granting service connection for both conditions.

The Veteran's tinnitus was granted service connection. The decision on bilateral hearing loss is pending and remanded.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions have been denied.,No effective dates were assigned as the Veteran was discharged from active service on April 10, 2014.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's hearing loss disability is not related to service. Service connection was denied for bilateral hearing loss.

Service connection is granted for tinnitus. The Veteran's current tinnitus is found to be related to his in-service noise exposure and credible testimony of its onset during service.,Bilateral hearing loss disability: Service connection is denied as the evidence does not establish a link between the current condition and service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for left knee disability, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus due to insufficient evidence in the record. The VA is required to obtain private treatment records from the Center for Primary Care in Augusta, Georgia, associated with the Veteran's 2005 left knee arthroplasty surgery. A VA examination must be conducted to determine if the Veteran’s current left knee disability was proximately due to or aggravated by his service-connected right knee disability and whether his hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his in-service acoustic trauma.

The Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability was not incurred in or aggravated by active duty service. The Board found that the Veteran did not have a hearing loss disability for VA purposes during service and there is no evidence of continuous symptoms since separation from service.

The Board has denied a request for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, and has remanded the case to consider whether a higher evaluation is warranted.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to concerns about the adequacy of the VA examiner's opinion regarding delayed-onset hearing loss. The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is now being reviewed with a new examination and opinion.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased disability ratings are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and evaluations.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there was no evidence of a noise injury during service and concluding that his current hearing loss is more likely due to aging rather than noise exposure.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal regarding the initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss and any rating in excess of 10 percent thereafter. The Board dismissed the appeal as a result.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the relationship between the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and his in-service noise exposure. A new VA examination is needed to determine if there is a link between service and the Veteran's hearing loss.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are related to his in-service noise exposure.

The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss, left upper extremity disorder, right-hand disorder, lumbar spine disorder, glaucoma, and cervical spondylosis at C6-C7 due to additional evidence being added to the Veteran's file.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's right ear hearing loss, finding that it is related to in-service noise exposure. The decision resolves reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability was not incurred in service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran withdrew their appeals for the claims of service connection for broken right foot, arthritis of right acromioclavicular joint, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder (including a mood disorder, anxiety, and depression).

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation prior to July 5, 2018. The Board granted TDIU based on the combined disability rating of his service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and opinions regarding his back disability, bilateral hearing loss, and respiratory disability.