Hearing loss Board decisions

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for right ear hearing loss and granted it, finding that new evidence supports a current diagnosis of sensorineural hearing loss and connecting this to in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 50 percent disabling. The effective date for service connection of bilateral hearing loss is set at August 29, 2008 for left ear and December 24, 2012 for right ear.

The Board has determined that the VA examination is inadequate and requires a supplemental opinion to address the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The case will be remanded for further development.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection of bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, as well as his claim for additional residuals of a right eye injury secondary to service-connected macular scarring. The appeal is dismissed.

The Veteran's service-connected asthma and other disabilities do not meet the criteria for SMC based on need for aid and attendance of another or specially adapted housing. The Board found that the primary cause of the need for aid and attendance is due to non-service-connected COPD, rather than service-connected asthma.

The Veteran's hearing loss has been rated as noncompensable, and his service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board finds that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is at least as likely as not caused by in-service noise exposure, and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has ordered a remand to obtain VA examinations for the Veteran's hearing loss, tinnitus, and right toe injury claims. The case will be returned to the AOJ for further development.

The Veteran seeks service connection for a bilateral hearing loss disability. The VA examiner found that without accurate audiometric data at enlistment or separation, it cannot be determined if the current hearing loss disability is due to service. The Board finds this opinion inadequate and requires a supplemental opinion.

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

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, a psychiatric disorder, and a stomach condition. The decision also noted that the Veteran's claim for secondary service connection was denied as a matter of law due to his denial of service connection for the underlying psychiatric disability.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss does not meet the criteria for a compensable disability rating, and thus denied his claim.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn by the Veteran, through his authorized representative.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his military service, granting his claims for service connection.

The Board has granted service connection for left ear hearing loss, but denied the initial rating claim for right ear hearing loss. The Veteran's case is remanded to obtain a new VA examination and assign an appropriate rating.

The Board has remanded the case due to failure to issue a Supplemental Statement of the Case (SSOC). The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are pending.

The Veteran's initial claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied as his hearing impairment did not meet the criteria for any higher evaluation under VA's rating schedule.

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings for service-connected bilateral hearing loss has been dismissed as he withdrew the appeal in December 2017.

The Board has vacated the previous decision and remanded the cases for further review due to new evidence submitted after the last SSOC.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss and Eustachian tube dysfunction. The rating for bilateral hearing loss was granted at 50% from April 15, 2010 to August 13, 2015, and at 40% thereafter. The rating for Eustachian tube dysfunction remains at 0%.