Hearing loss Board decisions

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

The Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability is found to be the result of noise exposure during his active duty service, and he has been granted service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that a new VA audiological examination is needed to assess the current nature, severity, and functional impact of the Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss. The case will be remanded for this purpose.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of a traumatic brain injury, right shoulder strain, right ear hearing loss, and pain disorder with depression were received on March 4, 2011. The effective date assigned is March 4, 2011.,A claim for right shoulder strain was denied in January 2010 but the Veteran did not appeal this decision or submit new evidence within one year of the rating decision. A new claim for service connection for a right shoulder disability was received on March 4, 2011 and granted with an effective date of March 4, 2011.,The Veteran's claims for right ear hearing loss and pain disorder with depression were denied in January 2010. No new evidence was submitted within one year of the rating decision. A new claim for service connection for these disabilities was received on March 4, 2011 and granted with an effective date of March 4, 2011.,The Veteran's claims for residuals of a traumatic brain injury were denied in January 2010 but the Veteran did not appeal this decision or submit new evidence within one year of the rating decision. A new claim for service connection was received on March 4, 2011 and granted with an effective date of March 4, 2011.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for a new VA examination to evaluate the current severity of his service-connected bilateral hearing loss. The Veteran contends that his hearing has worsened since his last audiological exam in March 2013.

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

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his noise exposure during service, thus granting service connection for these conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current hearing loss or tinnitus disability for which service connection can be granted. However, with reasonable doubt resolved in favor of the Veteran, the Board finds that he has a heart disability due to disease or injury in service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for migraine headaches has been reopened, but the Board is remanding it to allow for further development.,Service connection for bilateral hearing loss remains denied as there is no evidence of a current disability. The Veteran's hearing loss was rated at Level I in both ears.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus disabilities are related to his active service, including exposure to noise during military service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, foot disorder, knee disorder, lumbar spine disorder, and breathing disorder are all granted.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for sleep disorder, hearing loss, lumbar spine spondylolisthesis with degenerative disease L5-S1, right ankle post-operative residuals, traumatic arthritis, and left knee retropatellar pain syndrome to allow for additional development.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current disability for VA purposes due to his right ear hearing loss, and finds that there is no causal relationship between his left ear hearing loss and service. Therefore, the claim of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal regarding the initial compensable rating for hearing loss prior to July 14, 2017 and a rating in excess of 10 percent thereafter.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability did not originate in service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is not related to his service, including as secondary to his service-connected tinnitus.

The Board found that the reduction of the rating for bilateral hearing loss from 70% to 40%, effective February 1, 2010, was proper. The Veteran is not currently unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation due to service-connected disabilities.

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

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development to determine if he qualifies for TDIU on an extraschedular basis due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has remanded the case for a new VA audiological opinion to determine if the Veteran's current left ear hearing loss is related to service, including his March 1964 separation audiometric finding.