Hearing loss Board decisions

The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for PTSD, Conjunctivitis of the Left Eye, Residuals of Right Eye Trauma, and Bilateral Hearing Loss due to new evidence submitted after a previous denial. The preponderance of the evidence does not support these claims.

The Board has determined that a new examination is needed to determine if the Veteran's left ear hearing loss existed prior to his entrance into active duty and, if so, whether it was clearly and unmistakably aggravated by service. If not pre-existing, the examiner must also provide an opinion on whether the condition is related to service.

The Veteran's service connection claim for tinnitus is granted. The Board finds that the Veteran's tinnitus is etiologically related to his military service. Service connection for bilateral hearing loss is remanded.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for additional evidence and an examination.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus as there was no evidence of chronic conditions in service or within the applicable presumptive period, and continuity of symptomatology was not established. The Veteran's current hearing loss and tinnitus were found to be more likely related to his civilian occupational noise exposure.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and records. The effective date of any award will be determined based on the evidence received.

The Board denied the petitions to reopen claims for service connection for various conditions, including allergic rhinitis, bronchitis, athlete's foot, right foot fracture, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, eczema, and cellulitis of the right hand. The evidence did not show current disabilities during the appeals period.

The Board has determined that the April 2014 VA audiological examination is inadequate and a new examination is needed to determine if the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is related to his military service.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service.

The Board denied service connection for degenerative joint disease of the left shoulder, right shoulder, left knee, and right knee. The Veteran did not have a current diagnosis of these conditions at the time of the decision.,The Board also denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss. Again, there was no current diagnosis of this condition.

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss is related to service and the claim for service connection has been granted. The issues of an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss and an increased rating for PTSD are remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus but has remanded the issue of service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to unclear evidence and need for further examination.

The Veteran's service connection claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder and his request for a rating in excess of 40 percent for bilateral hearing loss were denied. The appeal was also remanded for consideration of entitlement to total disability due to individual unemployability (TDIU) on an extraschedular basis.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete development of records related to the Veteran's hearing loss. The Veteran will need to provide authorization for VA to obtain his private medical records, and a new VA examination is needed to assess the current severity of his bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to new and material evidence. The Veteran's pre-existing bilateral hearing loss was aggravated during active service, warranting service connection by way of aggravation.

The Veteran's appeal regarding a compensable rating for left ear hearing loss was denied. The Board found that the Veteran's non-service-connected right ear had recently produced pure tone results consistent with a hearing loss disability, which is not properly before the Board. The Veteran's service-connected left ear hearing loss has been rated as 0 percent since December 2014.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including coronary artery disease and anxiety disorder, have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. His TDIU application is granted.

The Board has expanded the claim to include consideration of various other ear disabilities and has remanded for further development due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's hearing loss, otalgia, ear popping, dizziness, and balance problems.

The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable disability evaluation for bilateral hearing loss has been denied. The Board found that the Veteran's hearing levels did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under the applicable VA Schedule for Rating Disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is related to his in-service noise exposure and grants service connection for this condition.