Hearing loss Board decisions

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, a low back disability, tinnitus, and bilateral hearing loss. The decision also addressed issues related to reopening his claim for PTSD.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate medical opinions regarding the Veteran's hearing loss disability and its relation to service despite having normal hearing at separation.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are found to be related to his military service, with the noise exposure as a Machine Gunner being considered the primary cause.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have current hearing loss, left ear infection residuals, or eye disability for VA purposes and thus cannot establish service connection.

The Board has found that the Veteran's right ear hearing loss does not present an exceptional or unusual disability picture with marked interference with employment, and therefore, an extraschedular rating is denied.

The Board has granted service connection for right ear hearing loss and found it is related to the Veteran's exposure to noise in service. The issue of an initial compensable rating for left ear hearing loss, now bilateral hearing loss, is being remanded.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is being remanded for additional development, including an audiologist opinion to assess the impact of his service-connected disabilities on his ability to function in a work setting.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and anxiety disorder. The right shoulder condition was rated at 20 percent prior to May 13, 2013, and 40 percent thereafter. The scar on the knee is not compensable.

The Veteran's tinnitus had its onset in service and the Board has granted service connection for this condition. The left knee disability is also found to have an onset during service, warranting service connection.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss disability was denied as the evidence did not show that his condition warranted a higher rating at any point during the appeal period.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions have been evaluated based on the criteria provided in the rating schedule. The appeal is denied as the evidence does not support a higher disability rating for any of the conditions.

The Veteran's tinnitus and left ear hearing loss were found to have onset during service, warranting service connection for both conditions.

Service connection for left ear hearing loss was granted effective May 5, 1988.,Service connection for right ear hearing loss was denied as the claim was not received within one year of the original denial.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, hypertension, diabetes mellitus type II, stroke, prostate cancer, and erectile dysfunction were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for service connection in any of these cases.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss was manifested by hearing acuity no worse than Level II in the right ear and Level IV in the left ear, with no exceptional pattern of hearing loss. The Board found that a compensable rating is not warranted based on these findings.

The Board has restored the Veteran's 30 percent disability rating for service-connected bilateral hearing loss, finding that the reduction from 30 to 20 percent was improper and without observance of law.

The Veteran's bilateral sensorineural hearing loss and tinnitus are service-connected as they are related to in-service acoustic trauma exposure. The issues of entitlement to service connection for upper extremity neuropathy and TDIU have been remanded.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional medical examination and consideration of his vertigo symptoms in conjunction with his service-connected bilateral hearing loss.

The Board finds that the evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is related to service and grants his claim of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has remanded the case due to conflicting evidence regarding whether the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is related to service or post-service ear infections with related surgery. The Veteran contends his current hearing loss is a result of chronic recurrent bilateral ear infections in service, while VA medical opinions suggest it may be related to pre-existing conditions and/or surgical procedures.