Hearing loss Board decisions

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right ear hearing loss and a respiratory disorder, as well as his claim for an increased rating for left ear hearing loss. The Board found no evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss is currently rated as non-compensable due to puretone thresholds of no higher than 33 decibels for the right ear and no higher than 31 dB for the left ear, with speech recognition scores of at least 94 percent in both ears. The Board finds that these results do not warrant a compensable rating.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss is currently rated as non-compensable due to puretone thresholds of no higher than 33 decibels for the right ear and no higher than 31 dB for the left ear, with speech recognition scores of at least 94 percent in both ears. The Board finds that these results do not warrant a compensable rating.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss is currently rated as non-compensable due to puretone thresholds of no higher than 33 decibels for the right ear and no higher than 31 dB for the left ear, with speech recognition scores of at least 94 percent in both ears. The Board finds that these results do not warrant a compensable rating.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has been consistently rated as noncompensable throughout the appeal period, with no evidence of exceptional hearing loss. The Board finds that a compensable rating is not warranted.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for bilateral hearing loss was denied. The Board also remanded the service connection issue for his left foot condition due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of his condition.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation as of November 29, 2017.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his military service, but granted service connection for tinnitus based on its presence during service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including left knee disability, thoracolumbar spine disability, bilateral hearing loss, erectile dysfunction, and an acquired psychiatric condition. The decision found that new evidence did not reopen the claim for a left knee disability, and that there was no evidence of a current disability related to service or exposure to herbicide agents.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss was denied, while his claim for an initial evaluation of 70 percent for PTSD was granted.

The Board has granted service connection for left ear hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are related to his in-service noise exposure. The right ear hearing loss issue is remanded for further examination.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the etiology of the Veteran's left ear hearing loss. The VA examiner did not provide a clear explanation for the in-service shift in hearing acuity and the Veteran's lay reports of immediate onset hearing loss.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are granted as service connected due to in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is granted due to exposure to loud noise during service and continuous symptoms post-service. The right and left knee disorders are remanded for further examination and opinion regarding their relationship to service-connected back disability.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus because there was no evidence of hearing loss or tinnitus during active duty, and the delay in reporting symptoms did not establish a service connection.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's right ear hearing loss disability, lung disability, back pain, hypertension, GERD, prostate cancer, and acquired psychiatric disorder are not service connected. The case is being remanded to obtain verification of herbicide exposure in Korea and to clarify the nature and etiology of the Veteran's right ear hearing loss.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was found to be noncompensably disabling, as the average pure tone threshold in both ears is 64 decibels. The Veteran does not meet the criteria for a compensable disability rating.

The Board has granted the reopening of claims for service connection for tinnitus and remanded other issues due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations and service connection are being remanded due to the need for clarification of his lumbar spine disorder examination reports.