Hearing loss Board decisions

The Veteran's representative withdrew the appeals for increased disability ratings for insomnia disorder and bilateral hearing loss, leading to their dismissal.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and remanded the issues of service connection for GERD and an acquired psychiatric condition.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there was no evidence of in-service noise exposure or a current disability meeting VA criteria. The examiner also noted that the Veteran did not have significant threshold shifts at separation and within one year of separation.

The Veteran's service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are granted. Bilateral hearing loss is found to be related to in-service noise exposure, while tinnitus is found to be secondary to the now service-connected bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for sleep disturbances, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, PTSD, and an acquired psychiatric disorder are denied. The Board found that the Veteran did not have a diagnosis of PTSD during active duty and his current diagnoses were related to his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including ischemic heart disease and bilateral high frequency hearing loss, collectively prevent him from obtaining or retaining substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was evaluated and found to be at Level I in both ears, resulting in a noncompensable rating. The appeal is denied as the criteria for an initial compensable rating are not met.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss is rated at zero percent (noncompensable) throughout the appeal period, as his audiometric testing has consistently shown no worse than Level II hearing in both ears.

The Veteran's service connection claim for degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine is granted. The claims for increased ratings for osteoarthritis of the left and right knees, as well as for bilateral hearing loss are remanded.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus is denied as there is no evidence of a current disability and the Board finds that her symptoms are not related to military service.,Service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability is denied because the Veteran does not have a current disability. The Board notes that she did sustain acoustic trauma during active service, but this alone is not sufficient to establish service connection.,The Veteran's claim for PTSD due to MST is remanded as new evidence requires a review of her psychiatric symptoms under DSM-5 criteria.,Service connection for back disability is remanded as the VA examiner’s opinion was inadequate and did not consider the Veteran's lay statements regarding the onset and continuity of her back disability.,The Veteran's claim for sleep disorder, to include sleep apnea, is remanded as no sleep study has been performed to diagnose sleep apnea. The Board also notes that more information is needed about the status of her ovaries.,Service connection for sinusitis is denied as there is no evidence of a current disability and the VA examiner’s opinion was inadequate.,The Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for major depressive disorder is remanded due to new information indicating worsening symptoms.,The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent for salpingo-oophoritis with removal of right ovary is remanded as more information about the status of her ovaries is needed.

The Veteran's tinnitus is currently rated at 10 percent and the hearing loss disability is currently rated at 10 percent. Both conditions are remanded for further evaluation.

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

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and light sensitivity as there is no evidence of these conditions during or after the Veteran's military service.,The Board found that a remand is needed to determine if the Veteran has a current right ankle disability separate from his already service-connected TBI and anxiety disorder.

The Veteran's daughter did not file a timely claim for accrued benefits within one year of his death, so the appeal is denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied due to lack of prior formal or informal claims before March 30, 2011.,The effective dates for the grants of service connection are set at March 30, 2010 and March 30, 2011 respectively.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for increased ratings due to new evidence indicating worsening of his disabilities since the last examinations in December 2010.

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

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and a respiratory condition, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to his active service.

The Veteran's service connection claims for right and left hearing loss disabilities have been denied as there is no current disability during the appeal period.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to inadequate VA audiological examinations, and a new examination is needed to determine if the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is related to service.