Hearing loss Board decisions

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is related to his military service, and thus grants entitlement to service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's appeal was remanded by the Board in April 2015. The case is now being returned to the Board for further development and consideration of his claims, including whether his service-connected disabilities render him unemployable.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was rated as noncompensable from November 30, 2007 to July 14, 2015 and as 20 percent disabling thereafter. The Veteran's degenerative arthritis of the right knee was rated as 10 percent disabling.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current hearing loss disability or tinnitus that is related to his active duty service. The evidence shows no complaints of hearing loss prior to 2010, and there are no records indicating any in-service noise exposure leading to these conditions.

The Board found that the Veteran's appeal of the August 2013 rating decision was not timely received, and thus denied the appeal.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for asbestosis and bilateral hearing loss, and entitlement to special monthly compensation (SMC) based on need for aid and attendance or homebound status were denied. The Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities was also denied.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there is no evidence to support a link between these conditions and his military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss does not warrant a rating in excess of 10 percent, as his current test results do not meet the criteria for an increased evaluation.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to incomplete audiometric evaluations. The Veteran's claim of entitlement to a compensable rating prior to June 22, 2013, and in excess of 10 percent thereafter for bilateral hearing loss is pending.

The Veteran's service connection claims for residuals of a fracture of the left middle finger, hearing loss, sleep apnea, and arthritis of the hands have all been granted. The Veteran has not provided evidence that his current hearing loss disability meets VA criteria for compensation purposes.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining an opinion on whether the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is secondary to his service-connected tinnitus and for any updated treatment records.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities (bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus) rendered him unable to follow a substantially gainful occupation prior to January 24, 2012. An extra-schedular evaluation for bilateral hearing loss is denied.

The Veteran's service-connected hearing loss and tinnitus have rendered him unemployable, as the Board finds that his condition significantly impairs his employability in most occupational environments.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional medical records and to schedule VA examinations for his hearing loss, tinnitus, respiratory disorder, and skin disorder claims.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral sensorineural hearing loss disability is not causally related to his active service or any incident therein.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability is not related to his service, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's appeals have been withdrawn, and the Board has dismissed all related claims.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have a current right ear hearing loss disability for VA purposes and denied his claim. For depression, the Board determined there is no evidence of an in-service event or disease related to service, and thus denied service connection.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining an October 2011 audiogram from the Columbia VA Medical Center. The Veteran's appeal is currently in a pending state.

The Veteran's appeal for TDIU prior to October 6, 2014 was denied as his service-connected disabilities did not preclude him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment.