Hearing loss Board decisions

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his in-service noise exposure, and thus service connection is granted.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the award of service connection for bilateral hearing loss was dismissed as a freestanding claim, due to the finality of the September 2011 Board decision.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are related to his in-service noise exposure.,Service connection for hypertension is being remanded as there is insufficient evidence regarding its relationship to the Veteran's military service.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is found to be related to his in-service exposure to significant acoustic trauma, and the Board grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that the evidence is in equipoise as to whether the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus originated during or are otherwise related to his in-service noise exposure, thus granting service connection for both conditions.

The Veteran's claims for increased rating for tinnitus, service connection for bilateral hearing loss, and service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder (secondary to service-connected tinnitus) are denied. The Board finds that the evidence does not support a finding of direct service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable disability rating for bilateral hearing loss has been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on the current level of hearing impairment.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to inadequate VA examination opinions regarding the etiology of his hearing loss and its relationship to service-connected tinnitus.

The Veteran's service-connected right ear hearing loss does not meet the criteria for special monthly compensation based on Aid and Attendance or Housebound due to his dementia.

The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss was denied. The Board has remanded the case to obtain additional evidence and schedule a VA examination.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss has been rated as noncompensable throughout the appeal period. The Board finds that his current level of hearing impairment does not warrant a compensable rating.

The Veteran's appeal for an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied. The claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C. 1151 (2012) for left eye blindness/loss of vision is pending.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and consideration, including referral to the Compensation Director for an extra-schedular determination addressing the combined effect of the Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus disabilities.

The Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation based on the need for regular aid and attendance of another person or by reason of being housebound is remanded due to incomplete examination report. Additional evidence may be needed from private or VA treatment providers.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss is currently rated at 20 percent from May 19, 2017. The Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted for any period.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss has been rated at 30 percent since June 18, 2016. The Board finds that a higher initial rating is not warranted for the period beginning June 18, 2016.

The Veteran's hearing loss is currently rated as zero percent disabling due to puretone threshold averages no higher than 46 decibels in the right ear and 53 dB in the left ear, with speech recognition scores of at least 92% in both ears. The criteria for a compensable rating have not been met.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for sleep apnea, hypertension, bilateral hearing loss, and a left foot disability other than hallux valgus. The Veteran's claim for PTSD was granted with an initial rating of 50 percent. The Veteran's claim for right ankle disability was granted with an initial rating of 10 percent.

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

The Board has determined that the evidence is at least in equipoise and, therefore, applying the benefit-of-the-doubt doctrine, service connection for a right arm disability is granted. The issue of bilateral hearing loss remains pending.