Hearing loss decisions — 2019

The Veteran withdrew their appeal regarding the rating for bilateral hearing loss, resulting in its dismissal.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there was no causal relationship between his current hearing loss and in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is found to be related to service, and the claim for service connection is granted.

The Veteran's service connection claim for bilateral hearing loss is granted as his current disability and in-service acoustic trauma are linked.

The Board has decided to remand the cases of tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss for further development, including obtaining additional medical records and providing an addendum opinion regarding their etiology.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between his current conditions and active duty service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right shoulder and right knee disabilities, as well as bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were incurred or aggravated during service.,There is no credible medical evidence linking any of the claimed conditions to service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including bilateral hearing loss and gunshot wound residuals of the left elbow, prevent him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment. The Board has granted a TDIU based on these conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that his current hearing disability did not meet the criteria set forth in 38 C.F.R. § 3.385 and was less likely than not related to his active duty due to normal hearing at entry and separation from service.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a right shoulder disability and an initial rating for bilateral hearing loss prior to August 22, 2018, were denied. The Veteran's current right shoulder disability was not shown to be related to his military service, while his bilateral hearing loss did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating under VA regulations.

The claim of service connection for hypothyroidism, bilateral sensorineural hearing loss, and tinnitus is remanded due to insufficient medical opinions regarding the onset and relationship to service.

The Board has remanded the case due to missing October 6, 2015 VA outpatient audiology treatment record from the Bradenton VA Clinic / Manatee CBOC. The Veteran's hearing was retested in left ear only.

The Veteran's bilateral sensorineural hearing loss and tinnitus are granted as service-connected. The hearing loss is due to in-service noise exposure, while the tinnitus is secondary to his service-connected hearing loss.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are granted as service connected due to noise exposure during military service.

The Veteran's service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been granted due to the evidence showing exposure to noise trauma during service, leading to current hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for a VA examination and additional development of records. The issues are whether new and material evidence has been received to reopen the claim of service connection for hearing loss in the right ear, and service connection for hearing loss in the left ear.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is rated as noncompensable due to the severity of his hearing impairment, which does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.

The Board has remanded two issues: an initial compensable rating for left ear hearing loss and service connection for right ear hearing loss. The Veteran's representative raised the issue of whether an extraschedular rating is warranted for tinnitus, but this claim was not addressed as it does not relate to service connection.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable evaluation for fracture laceration of the left ring finger and hearing loss in both ears remains pending. The Board has found that these conditions do not warrant a higher rating.,The Veteran’s claims for service connection for migraine headaches and diabetes mellitus (claimed as due to herbicide exposure) are remanded, as the previous examination did not consider relevant medical history.