Hearing loss Board decisions

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his military service, with the evidence being at least in equipoise as to whether they were caused by noise exposure during service. Service connection is granted for both conditions.

The Veteran's left ear hearing loss did not manifest in service or within one year thereafter and is not otherwise related to service. The Board denied the claim for service connection.

The Veteran is granted an effective date of April 6, 2015 for the assignment of a 10 percent disability rating for bilateral hearing loss. The earlier effective date for service connection for tinnitus remains denied.,The Veteran's claim to reopen his previously denied claim of service connection for tinnitus was received on April 30, 2013 and granted with an effective date of that same day.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is related to acoustic trauma during active military service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining service treatment records and private medical records. The appellant's status as a Veteran and his claims for service connection will be reconsidered.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining service records and VA treatment records, as well as scheduling the Veteran for a VA examination to address his claims of entitlement to service connection for bilateral knee disabilities and lumbar spine disability.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for sleep apnea and hypertension have been granted. The remaining claims are pending.,The Veteran's claims of service connection for a respiratory disability and left foot disability remain pending as new and material evidence has not been received to reopen them.,Service connection is granted for tinnitus, but the cause remains unknown due to conflicting dates provided by the Veteran.,Service connection is denied for vitiligo. The cause remains unknown due to conflicting dates provided by the Veteran.,The Veteran's claims of service connection for a left ankle disability and shoulder disability remain pending as new and material evidence has not been received to reopen them.,The Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, left arm disability, and left leg disability remain pending as new and material evidence has not been received to reopen them.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is not related to his service, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals regarding the increased rating claims for left shoulder disability, right shoulder disability, cervical spine disability, lumbar spine disability, and tinnitus. He also withdrew his service connection claim for fibromyalgia.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the claim of service connection for right ear hearing loss. The case is being remanded for further development, including a VA examination.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn, and the Board is dismissing the case.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss is manifested by an exceptional hearing loss pattern with no worse than Level IV hearing acuity in his right ear and Level V hearing acuity in his left ear. The criteria for an evaluation higher than 10 percent are not met.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, right shoulder injury (claimed as bilateral shoulder injury/pain), left shoulder injury (claimed as bilateral shoulder injury/pain), right leg injury (claimed as bilateral leg injury/pain), and left leg injury (claimed as bilateral leg injury/pain). The Veteran has not appealed these decisions.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for the claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, and initial evaluations in excess of 10 percent for degenerative changes of the right and left knees.

The Veteran's hearing loss is currently manifested by Level II hearing loss in both ears, resulting in a noncompensable disability rating. The Board finds the evidence does not support an increase in the disability rating.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his military service, and therefore denied both claims.

The Veteran seeks an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The Board finds that February 9, 2010 is the proper effective date and denies the claim.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating or service connection based on new evidence.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a new VA examination to assess the severity of his bilateral hearing loss and determine the nature and etiology of his acquired psychiatric disorder.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, but denied them based on lack of evidence showing a nexus to in-service noise exposure. The claim for service connection for a bilateral knee condition was not addressed as it is considered new and material.