Hearing loss Board decisions

The Veteran's appeals for a higher rating for bilateral hearing loss, left knee disability, and secondary service connection for the left foot condition have all been denied by the Board.

The Veteran's service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are granted as the evidence supports that these conditions were incurred during his military service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions have been denied. The Board found no evidence of a nexus between the claimed conditions and service.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and PTSD have been rated, but his claim for service connection of atrial fibrillation was denied. The Board found that the Veteran is not entitled to a TDIU prior to December 15, 2010 due to his other service-connected disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a hearing disability related to his military service and tinnitus is not related to noise exposure in service. The claim for PTSD was remanded as there is insufficient evidence to decide the case.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD, but denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. The Veteran's PTSD claim was reopened due to the submission of new evidence.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is manifested by no more than a hearing acuity of Level V for the right ear and a Level III for the left ear, resulting in a 10% evaluation. The Board denied an increased rating as his hearing loss does not meet the criteria for an evaluation in excess of 10 percent.

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

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions and examinations. The issues include tinea corporis, diabetes mellitus, lumbar spine disability, bilateral hearing loss, hypertension, liver condition (including cirrhosis), and Barrett's esophagus.

The Board has decided to remand the case for another audiology examination due to unclear communication about the scheduled appointment and because an examination would be helpful in addressing the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, but has remanded the issue of service connection for ischemic heart disease due to lack of a VA examination.

The Veteran's appeal for an initial disability rating higher than 10 percent for bilateral hearing loss has been dismissed due to the Veteran withdrawing his appeal.,Service connection for xerostomia is granted, with the condition being proximately due to medication used for a service-connected acquired psychiatric disorder.,An initial rating of 70 percent is granted for an acquired psychiatric disorder throughout the period on appeal. The issue of TDIU is also addressed and found to be met.,The Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to service-connected disabilities is considered.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension and a non-compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss as the evidence did not support a finding of direct service connection or aggravation by a service-connected condition.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate examination and need for additional evidence, including private hearing test records.

The Board has decided to remand the claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus as secondary to NSAID medication due to noise exposure during service. Additional evidence is needed, including private or VA treatment records and an opinion from a VA audiologist regarding whether the current hearing loss and tinnitus are related to in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has been rated at 30 percent, which is the highest schedular rating available for this condition. The Board found that his symptoms do not warrant a higher rating as they are adequately captured by the current schedular criteria.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is being remanded for a VA examination to determine its current severity.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is considered service-connected as it was incurred during his military service.

The Veteran's tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss are service connected, as is his diabetes mellitus type II. The Veteran also receives a TDIU since November 27, 2013 due to PTSD.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional records, consideration of extraschedular criteria, and potential referral to VA’s Director of Compensation Service.