Hearing loss Board decisions

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is related to his active service and the claim for service connection is granted.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for additional medical examination and consideration of new evidence. The issue remains about entitlement to a disability rating in excess of 10 percent for otitis media with scarring.

The Board has determined that the Appellant's countable income exceeded the maximum annual pension rate (MAPR) for reinstatement of death pension benefits as of March 1, 2015. Therefore, her claim to reinstate terminated death pension benefits is denied.

The Veteran's diagnosed bilateral hearing loss for VA compensation purposes had its onset during service in Vietnam, and the Board has determined that his current hearing loss is related to noise exposure during military service.

The Veteran's appeal for higher ratings for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus was denied. The Board found that the current disability ratings adequately reflect the severity of these conditions, as they are both rated under the direct service connection criteria.

The Veteran's claim of entitlement to compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. � 1151 for a right shoulder rotator cuff tear was denied as there is no evidence of VA treatment or diagnosis of such condition.,Service connection for bilateral hearing loss has been granted, with the effective date pending further development.

The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss prior to July 11, 2016 and since that date was denied. The Board found no evidence of exceptional or unusual features associated with the Veteran's hearing loss disability.

The VA determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss did not manifest during service or within one year thereafter, and is not otherwise related to his military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is related to his service-connected bilateral hearing loss and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss and service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, finding that the evidence did not support a grant of either claim.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his military service, as there is no competent medical evidence linking these conditions to in-service noise exposure. The claims for service connection have been denied.

The Veteran's claim for a TDIU has been granted because his service-connected disabilities render him unemployable.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including a VA examination to assess the Veteran's employability due to his service-connected disabilities and issuance of a Supplemental Statement of the Case (SSOC).

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently rated as 30 percent disabling since February 16, 2017. Prior to this date, the evidence does not support a compensable rating.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral sensorineural hearing loss and tinnitus are at least as likely as not related to his active duty service, including exposure to noise during combat. Therefore, both conditions have been granted service connection.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for a videoconference hearing before the Board of Veterans' Appeals.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, make it impossible for him to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including a VA examination to assess the current severity of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and an opportunity for the Veteran to provide additional evidence. The claim will be readjudicated based on all available evidence.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss, and that the current 40 percent disability rating for post-concussive syndrome was appropriate.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss does not warrant a rating in excess of 40 percent, and his tinnitus is rated at 10 percent. The combined rating for both conditions is 50%, which does not meet the criteria for TDIU under 38 C.F.R. § 4.16(a).