Hearing loss Board decisions

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current hearing loss disability for VA purposes and denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss. However, the Board found in favor of the Veteran on his claim for tinnitus, finding it plausible that the condition began during active duty and has persisted since then.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus (including as secondary to a psychiatric disability), and an initial rating in excess of 30 percent for a psychiatric disability. The claims are being remanded due to outstanding VA treatment records not having been obtained, and the Veteran failing to appear for scheduled examinations.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus. The claims for bilateral hearing loss and porphyria cutanea tarda (PCT) are remanded due to the need for additional development.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD alone, at least as likely as not prevented him from obtaining and maintaining gainful employment for the entire period on appeal, prior to December 13, 2019. The Veteran is already awarded a 100 percent combined rating from December 13, 2019.

The appeal seeking to reopen a claim of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss is granted. The case is remanded for further development regarding the merits of the claims.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that it is not related to in-service noise exposure or secondary to the Veteran's service-connected traumatic brain injury.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for service connection of left knee and bilateral hip disorders. The remaining issues have been remanded for additional development.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has been rated as noncompensable. The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for low back disability and right leg numbness due to lack of VA examination.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus as the evidence does not support a finding that these conditions are related to military noise exposure or any other cause.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral sensorineural hearing loss and bilateral tinnitus has been granted.,Service connection is established for both conditions based on continuity of symptoms since separation from active duty.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to a lack of evidence showing current disability. The psychiatric disability claims are remanded as there is insufficient information regarding the relationship between the service-connected tinnitus and the diagnosed conditions.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that the Veteran does not have current hearing loss disability in either ear as required by VA compensation standards. The evidence did not show a disabling degree of hearing loss in the right ear and left ear hearing loss was not shown to be related to noise exposure during service.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss, finding that it was incurred in service and continued.

The petition to reopen a claim of entitlement to service connection for cardiac condition is denied.,The petition to reopen a claim of entitlement to service connection for thyroid cancer is granted and remanded.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been reopened and granted.,The Veteran's right knee, low back strain, and bilateral hearing loss conditions are being remanded for further evaluation.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus has been granted. The claims for bilateral hearing loss, PTSD, and increased evaluations for chondromalacia of the left and right knees are remanded.

The Veteran's hearing acuity has been manifested by no worse than a Level I in the right ear and a Level I in the left ear, which as outlined above equates to a noncompensable rating for his bilateral hearing loss. The Board denied an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for motor sensory conditions in both upper and lower extremities, finding no causal relationship to his active duty.,The Board also remanded the claim for hearing loss, as there is insufficient evidence regarding its etiology.

The Veteran's PTSD is granted with an initial rating of 70 percent. The ratings for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus remain at 10 percent each, but the effective dates are set to December 5, 2016. Service connection for an abdominal disability is denied.

The Board has granted the Veteran's petitions to reopen claims for service connection for left ear hearing loss, right ear hearing loss, tinnitus, and low back disability. Effective dates have been established for these determinations.