Hearing loss Board decisions

The Board finds that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is related to in-service noise exposure and grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's hearing loss was found to be noncompensable, but service connection for the cause of his death due to diabetes mellitus was granted. The Veteran had presumptive exposure to herbicide agents in Vietnam.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining STRs and securing VA and private treatment records. A VA examination is also required to determine the nature and etiology of any current psychiatric disorders.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to verify the appellant's military service and obtain his complete medical records. The case will be returned to the AOJ for this purpose.

The Board has granted service connection for all issues on appeal, finding that the Veteran's conditions are related to his active military service.

The Veteran's service connection claim for bilateral hearing loss is granted as the evidence supports a finding that his current disability was incurred in service due to acoustic trauma.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine the etiology of the Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus, including considering his lay statements regarding in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the receipt of additional service treatment records that existed at the time of previous decisions. The claims for hearing loss and right arm disability are being reviewed on a de novo basis.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and scheduling an audiological examination to assess the severity of his tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss was denied as the evidence did not show current sensorineural hearing loss in either ear. The Board found that the Veteran does not have a current disability of bilateral hearing loss.

The Board found that the Appellant's second period of service discharge was not honorable, and granted his claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus as they are related to active duty noise exposure. The psychiatric disorder claim is denied.

The Board has remanded the case to the AOJ for consideration of whether a TDIU is warranted on an extraschedular basis due to the Veteran's service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was not shown to have occurred in service, did not manifest for several years thereafter, and is not related to service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran currently has bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, which are service-connected based on direct evidence of a link between in-service noise exposure and current symptoms.

The Board has granted service connection for left ear hearing loss, migraine headaches, erectile dysfunction, and degenerative disc disease and degenerative arthritis of the cervical spine. The Veteran's PTSD was also rated at 30 percent effective December 11, 2014.

The Board has remanded the case due to a missing audiogram from September 2009, and the claim is still pending for further development.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are incurred in service, with some evidence of noise exposure during his military service. The decision grants service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected hearing loss and tinnitus have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation since March 3, 2011. The Board has granted entitlement to TDIU from that date.

The Veteran's hearing loss was evaluated as Level I in both ears, resulting in a noncompensable rating. The Board found that the Veteran is not entitled to a compensable rating for his bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, fibromyalgia, tension headaches, and degenerative changes of the lumbar spine with muscle strain were denied. The claim for service connection for sinus disability was granted based on allergic rhinitis only. Service connection for TMJ syndrome was established on merits.