Hearing loss Board decisions

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have led to his inability to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, but the percentage requirements for a TDIU on a schedular basis are not met. The Board has referred the claim for a TDIU on an extraschedular basis to VA's Director of Compensation Service.

The Board has remanded the cases for further examination and opinion regarding service connection for right and left shoulder disabilities. The Veteran's hearing loss is denied as not related to noise exposure in service.

The Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability is found to be related to his active service, with continuity of symptoms since separation.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection were dismissed due to his death. The Board has no jurisdiction to adjudicate the merits of these claims as he died during the appeal process.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and Meniere's disease, finding that there was no clear and unmistakable evidence of pre-existence or aggravation by service. The examiner concluded that the right ear hearing loss and Meniere's disease were not caused by noise exposure in service.,The Board also denied service connection for left ear hearing loss, concluding that the Veteran's left ear hearing loss clearly and unmistakably pre-existed service and was not aggravated by service.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient rationale in a prior VA examiner's opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral sensorineural hearing loss. The case is now being returned for an updated opinion that addresses this issue.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's conditions are etiologically related to his active duty service. The decision is based on continuity of symptomatology and in-service noise exposure.

The Board denied a compensable rating for the Veteran's service-connected right ear hearing loss, finding that his hearing acuity did not warrant such a rating based on VA examination results and the applicable rating criteria.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus is granted. The Board finds that the Veteran experienced ringing in his ears during service and has credible testimony supporting this. Service connection is granted as it meets all elements: a current disability, in-service incurrence or aggravation of a disease or injury, and causal relationship between the present disability and the disease or injury incurred or aggravated during service. The claim for bilateral hearing loss is remanded due to lack of a VA examination.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to incomplete records and the need for further medical evaluation.

The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for bilateral sensorineural hearing loss was denied as his audiometric test results did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and remanded the claim of service connection for a gastrointestinal disability, to include gastritis.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to an inadequate medical opinion regarding the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss. The case will be returned for further examination and a new opinion.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is remanded due to conflicting findings regarding any in-service audiological threshold shift.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection of bilateral hearing loss was dismissed due to his death during the pendency of the appeal.

The Board has dismissed the issue of service connection for high cholesterol. Service connection for tuberculosis, PTSD, left ear hearing loss, heart disability, hypertension, and back disability is denied. These issues are remanded.

Service connection is granted for bilateral hearing loss disability. Service connection is denied for ischemic heart disease (IHD). The Board finds the Veteran's back, neck, and TBI/CNS disabilities are not related to service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current bilateral hearing loss disability for VA purposes, and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been denied for bilateral hearing loss, type II diabetes mellitus, kidney disorder (to include secondary to type II diabetes mellitus), and bilateral eye disorder (to include secondary to type II diabetes mellitus). The remaining issues are remanded for further development.

The Veteran requested to withdraw his appeal regarding a rating in excess of 10 percent for bilateral hearing loss, and the Board has dismissed this issue.