Hearing loss Board decisions

The Veteran's claims for higher ratings for PTSD and bilateral hearing loss are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations to assess current disability levels.

The Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is related to his active service, and the Board has granted service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's neck and back conditions are remanded for further examination to determine if they were caused or aggravated by his periods of active duty, inactive duty training, or pre-existing scoliosis. His hearing loss is also remanded for a new VA examination.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has been rated at 10 percent since the appeal period began, as his pure tone thresholds and speech recognition scores have not met criteria for a higher rating.

The Veteran's left ankle disability, tinnitus, asthma, and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) have been granted service connection. The Veteran's PTSD has also been granted a 70 percent rating.,Service connection for hearing loss was dismissed.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is rated as noncompensable throughout the appeal period, and the Board finds that his statements about difficulty hearing do not warrant a higher rating.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has worsened since his last VA examination in September 2016. The claim is being remanded to obtain more recent medical records and schedule the Veteran for a new examination.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and service-connected right knee disability are granted. Service connection for a bilateral hip disorder, respiratory disorder, and brain disorder is denied.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and an examination to determine if the Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and depression, is related to service.

The Veteran's initial compensable rating for left ear hearing loss is being remanded due to concerns about the adequacy of a previous VA examination and the need for further evaluation.

The Board denied service connection for compression fracture and osteoarthritis of the lumbar spine, left ear hearing loss, tinnitus, and hypertension. The Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service.,Service connection was denied as there is no evidence that any of these conditions began during active service or are otherwise linked to an in-service injury, event, or disease.

The Veteran's hearing loss has worsened since his last VA examination in 2014, and he needs updated treatment records to support this claim. The Board is remanding the case for a new examination to assess the current severity of his service-connected bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD, tinnitus, and bilateral hearing loss have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment from July 26, 2007 to October 16, 2012. The Board finds the evidence is in equipoise as to whether these conditions alone preclude the Veteran from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 70 percent, effective January 12, 2016. The TDIU claim is granted.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's current hearing loss is related to his active duty service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his in-service noise exposure, and thus service connection is granted.

The Board has denied service connection for left ear hearing loss and right ear hearing loss due to lack of a current disability. The Veteran's back disorder is remanded for further examination and opinion.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and migraines due to incomplete VA medical records and a need for further development.

The Veteran requested to withdraw his appeal for an increased rating and the reduction from 10 percent to noncompensable for service-connected bilateral hearing loss with chronic otitis media with central perforation, right. The Board dismissed the appeal as a result.

The Board has denied service connection for residual cold injuries of the bilateral upper and lower extremities, as well as for BHL and tinnitus. The denial is based on a lack of current disabilities associated with in-service cold injuries.