Hearing loss Board decisions

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is rated as Level I, which does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating. The Board denied his claim for an initial compensable rating.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and leukemia were not service-connected as they did not meet the criteria for presumptive conditions or direct service connection.,Service records do not show any evidence of these conditions during active duty. The Appellant's claims are based on assertions that the Veteran experienced symptoms in later years.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are granted with an effective date of February 18, 2009.

The Board has granted an earlier effective date of May 21, 2019 for the grant of service connection for major depressive disorder with insomnia and bilateral hearing loss. The Veteran's claims were filed within one year of their intent to file.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is determined to have begun during his military service and has been continuous since then. The Board grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran is not entitled to SMC at a rate intermediate between SMC(l) and SMC(m) (SMC(p)) because he does not have an additional disability rated as 50 or 100 percent disabling.,The Veteran's claim for higher level of SMC, claimed as entitlement to SMC(t), is denied due to the lack of evidence showing that he requires a 'higher level of care' than what is required for regular aid and attendance.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his military service, as there is no evidence of in-service noise exposure or symptoms. Therefore, service connection for these conditions cannot be granted.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and other service-connected conditions render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.,The Veteran is currently rated at 30 percent for his combined service-connected disabilities, which includes bilateral hearing loss (20%), tinnitus (10%), osteoarthritis of the left knee (10%), degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine with limited extension of right knee (10%), limited extension of left and right knees (10% each), and osteoarthritis of the left and right ankles (10%).

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings were denied. The effective dates for TDIU and DEA benefits are granted.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service connected. The Board finds the Veteran credible regarding his claim that he experiences symptoms of tinnitus since active service, and resolves reasonable doubt in his favor. For bilateral hearing loss, a new addendum opinion is needed to determine if it had its onset during or was aggravated by his period of ACDUTRA from June 1963 to December 1963.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and PTSD due to lack of evidence supporting the claimed in-service stressor, and because there was no significant threshold shift demonstrating permanent auditory damage on active duty.

The Board dismissed the appeal of an increased rating in excess of 80 percent for bilateral hearing loss from July 30, 2019 to the present. The claim was denied for an increased rating in excess of 60 percent for bilateral hearing loss from August 21, 2014 to July 30, 2019.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the relationship between the Veteran's right ear hearing loss and his military service. The case will be returned for further development.

The Board has granted service connection for the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss, finding that it had its onset in service and is related to noise exposure during active duty.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss was reopened and granted. The Board found that the Veteran had a nexus between his current bilateral hearing loss and his active service, resolving all reasonable doubt in his favor. The issues of increased ratings for PTSD and back disability, as well as TDIU, are remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's current hearing loss is etiologically related to in-service acoustic trauma and meets the criteria for presumptive service connection.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current diagnosis is related to his active duty service. However, it denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to insufficient evidence linking the condition to service.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was rated at 0 percent from March 17, 2004, through March 8, 2016; and 10 percent since March 9, 2016. The Board denied an initial compensable rating prior to March 9, 2016.

The Board has remanded the claims for an initial compensable rating for TBI and service connection for a bilateral hearing loss disability due to lack of substantial compliance with development requests.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for right ear hearing loss has been dismissed as there is no longer a case or controversy to resolve. The appeals for service connection for acoustic neuroma of the right ear, right facial palsy, right eye loss of eyesight, incomplete body coordination, stability and balance, and asbestos exposure are remanded for further development.