Hearing loss Board decisions

The Board has remanded the claims due to a lack of service treatment records (STRs). The Veteran will be asked to provide alternative forms of evidence, such as 'buddy certificates' and letters.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to inadequate examination opinions. The Veteran is required to undergo another VA examination to determine if his conditions are related to service, including acoustic trauma.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is related to his military service and granted his claim for service connection.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate VA opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss. The Veteran is required to be provided with a VA examination to determine if his hearing loss is related to service.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and a right ankle disorder. Bilateral hearing loss is linked to acoustic trauma during active service. Tinnitus is also linked to in-service noise exposure. The right ankle disorder is believed to have started due to an injury sustained while on active duty.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus was reopened due to new evidence. The Board found that the Veteran had in-service noise exposure, which is consistent with his military duties as a photographer on deck and artillery gunner. The medical opinion supports a finding of nexus between the Veteran’s current hearing loss and tinnitus and his service. Therefore, service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus was granted.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, traumatic brain injury with memory loss, and a headache disorder are denied. The claim for increased rating of PTSD is also denied.

The Board has determined that new material evidence has been presented to reopen the claim for service connection for a skin condition, and to that extent only, the claim is granted. The claims of service connection for hearing loss disability and tinnitus are remanded.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his bilateral hearing loss disability is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently rated as noncompensable, with no evidence of a current diagnosis of cardiovascular disease. The Board finds that the Veteran does not meet the criteria for an initial compensable evaluation for his bilateral hearing loss.,Regarding service connection for cardiovascular disease, to include as due to exposure to herbicide agents and/or as secondary to PTSD, there is insufficient evidence to establish a link between the Veteran's current condition and any in-service exposures or service-connected conditions. The Board finds that the criteria for service connection have not been met.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss and anxiety disorder are of such severity that they prevent him from securing or following any substantially gainful employment, warranting a TDIU.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, but the case is remanded for further examination and opinion regarding bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection and increased rating were dismissed. The Board found no evidence of hearing loss in the right ear, denied a higher rating for PTSD, granted a TDIU based on multiple service-connected disabilities, and remanded several issues.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and remanded the issue of service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities due to a lack of evidence.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus as there was no evidence of a nexus between the conditions and active duty service, despite the Veteran's assertions.

The Veteran is granted a TDIU due to his service-connected PTSD and additional service-connected disabilities rated at 60 percent or more. SMC at the housebound rate is also granted from January 1, 2015.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss is rated as noncompensable, with the Board finding that his hearing impairment does not warrant a compensable rating at any point during the appeal period.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete records and the need for a new VA audiology examination.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him incapable of securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus but remanded the issue of bilateral hearing loss due to lack of evidence and failure to appear for a VA examination.