Hearing loss Board decisions

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is not related to his periods of active duty training (ACDUTRA) and therefore denied service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's bilateral sensorineural hearing loss was evaluated at a 20 percent rating, the maximum available under VA regulations.

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 80 percent for bilateral hearing loss prior to August 10, 2017 was denied. His claim for TDIU prior to August 10, 2017 was also denied as his service-connected disabilities did not render him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is not related to his military service and does not meet the criteria for service connection.,There is no evidence of residuals of a traumatic brain injury in the record, and the Veteran does not suffer from such condition.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including end-stage renal failure and degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, do not render him unemployable as he is actively pursuing a university degree.

The Veteran's left ear hearing loss was evaluated as level VIII, resulting in a noncompensable disability rating. The Board found that the current evaluation adequately reflects the severity of his condition based on audiometric test scores and speech recognition percentages.

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings and service connection was denied. The Board found that the Veteran does not have a current hearing loss disability or a separate sleep disorder, and his PTSD symptoms do not warrant an evaluation in excess of 50 percent.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left ear hearing loss is related to his military service and granted service connection for this condition. The skin disorder claim, however, did not receive a clear opinion regarding its relationship to service or any exposure basis.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including a determination on whether new and material evidence has been received to reopen the claim of service connection for left ear hearing loss. The right ear hearing loss rating remains under review.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities meet the threshold criteria for TDIU, and the Board finds that his education, special training, and employment history support a finding of unemployability.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus disabilities are not related to his military service, as there is no evidence of a nexus between in-service noise exposure and these conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to the AOJ for further development, including obtaining additional VA treatment records and arranging for a medical examination. The TDIU claim will be adjudicated again after all requested actions have been completed.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was rated at 10 percent throughout the initial rating period, and no higher. The Board found that his hearing loss did not warrant a rating in excess of 10 percent.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to inadequate VA examination opinions and conflicting medical evidence regarding the Veteran's left ear hearing loss and frequent urination.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher initial rating for bilateral hearing loss has been dismissed as the Veteran and his representative withdrew their appeal prior to the issuance of an appellate decision.

The Veteran's initial claim for an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating prior to August 18, 2017, and in excess of 40 percent thereafter.

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

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss is currently manifested by Level I hearing impairment, which does not warrant a compensable rating. The Board finds that the evidence does not support an initial compensable rating for his right ear hearing loss.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has not been found to be worse than Level II impairment in either ear, which corresponds to a noncompensable evaluation under the applicable rating criteria.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was found to not warrant a compensable rating since April 21, 2016. The VA examiner determined that the Veteran's hearing loss did not meet the criteria for a higher rating based on his audiometric test results.