Hearing loss Board decisions

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right ear hearing loss is etiologically related to in-service noise exposure and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current right ear hearing loss disability is related to his active military service and granted service connection for this condition. The claim for increased rating of the right knee disability remains on appeal.

The Veteran is granted an effective date of October 29, 2004 for the award of service connection for PTSD with depressive disorder.,An increased rating to 70 percent for PTSD with depressive disorder from October 29, 2004 is granted.

The Board has determined that the evidence is at least in equipoise regarding whether the Veteran's left ear hearing loss and tinnitus are related to service, thus granting both claims.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability warrants a rating of 40 percent, which is in line with his service-connected condition. The claim for TDIU based on service-connected disabilities was granted as reasonable doubt was resolved in favor of the Veteran.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and back disability. The decision found that there was no causal link between these conditions and military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss and service connection for colon cancer. The decision found no evidence of a nexus between the Veteran's current conditions and his military service.

The Veteran's arteriosclerotic heart disease is presumed to have been incurred in service due to herbicide exposure. The bilateral sensorineural hearing loss claim is remanded for further development.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and finds that new and material evidence has been received. The evidence is in relative equipoise as to whether the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is etiologically related to in-service acoustic trauma, thus granting service connection.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations of tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, and a scar have been denied as there is no evidence to support ratings in excess of the current noncompensable evaluations.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to in-service noise exposure, resolving reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there was no evidence of aggravation of pre-existing conditions during service and that his current symptoms were not caused by military noise exposure.

The Veteran's claims for higher ratings for bilateral hearing loss and unspecified depressive disorder, as well as his claim to reopen a service connection claim for vertigo, are being remanded due to the need for additional development. The TDIU issue is also being remanded in conjunction with these other claims.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals regarding the issues of entitlement to an initial, compensable disability rating for a right knee scar; entitlement to service connection for residuals, status post right partial Achilles tear; and entitlement to service connection for residuals of bilateral eye injuries.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to service, and the Board has granted service connection for both conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is granted in full. His service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to maintain substantially gainful employment, and his bilateral hearing loss rating has been restored from 60 percent to 40 percent effective June 2, 2011. The claim of entitlement to service connection for tinnitus was withdrawn by the Veteran's representative.

The Board found that the Veteran's muscular dystrophy was not related to his active duty service and denied his claim for service connection. The issue of an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss is remanded.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus, bilateral knee conditions (left and right), left ankle condition, and hypertension are all service-connected based on direct evidence.

The Veteran's hearing acuity has not warranted a compensable rating, and his PTSD did not result in total social impairment during the appeal period.,PTSD symptoms have resulted in unemployability due to service-connected disabilities.

The Board finds that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are likely related to his in-service noise exposure, resulting in service connection for these conditions.