Hearing loss Board decisions

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a skin tag was denied as there is no competent evidence linking any current skin tag condition to service. The claim for bilateral hearing loss remains pending and will be remanded.

The Board found no evidence of a hearing loss disability for VA purposes during service, and the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is not related to his service. For the low back and lower extremity conditions, there was no in-service injury or disease, arthritis did not manifest within one year after separation from service, and these disabilities are not otherwise related to service.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to his death. The issues of rating for lumbar spine, service connection for bilateral hearing loss, and hepatitis C are not before the Board.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including PTSD, were denied as there is no current diagnosis of these conditions in the medical records.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining recent VA treatment records and arranging for new examinations to assess the severity of his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to obtain his SSA records, Army Reserve treatment records, and VA outpatient treatment records. He also needs a new medical opinion regarding the onset of his hearing loss and low back disorder.

The Board has granted service connection for left ear hearing loss and tinnitus, but denied right ear hearing loss. The decision is based on the Veteran's in-service noise exposure.

The Board has decided to remand the case for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and providing an addendum to the July 2014 VA examination opinion.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable disability rating for bilateral hearing loss is being remanded due to the need for a new VA audiological examination.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus were incurred in service, with no link to service-connected conditions or other presumptive exposure.

The Veteran's appeals for higher disability ratings for bursitis of the right shoulder and left shoulder have been withdrawn.,The Veteran's appeal for a higher initial disability rating for a bilateral hearing loss disability prior to June 6, 2014 has been denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current disability of the back that manifested during, or as a result of, active military service. The claim for service connection for a back disability is denied.

The Veteran's service connection for PTSD is granted, and he meets the criteria for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to his numerous service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are granted. Bilateral hearing loss is found to be etiologically related to noise trauma sustained in active service, while tinnitus is also found to be etiologically related to the same noise trauma.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been withdrawn due to his request in a March 2017 statement.,The Veteran's claims for service connection and ratings related to hearing loss, psoriasis, and secondary disabilities are dismissed as the issues were withdrawn.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, right ear hearing loss, and left ear hearing loss have been denied. The decision also found that a compensable rating for left ear hearing loss is not warranted.

The Board has determined that further development is needed to address the Veteran's claim for service connection for left ear hearing loss, specifically whether it is secondary to his service-connected right ear hearing loss and/or tinnitus.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's cause of death is related to his active military service, granting service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death.

The Board has decided to remand the case for additional development, including obtaining a VA examination and opinion regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's hearing loss. The appellant will need to provide any relevant medical records from the Oklahoma City VAMC.

The Board has determined that the evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether the Veteran's tinnitus was incurred during military service, and thus grants service connection for tinnitus. The issue of bilateral hearing loss remains pending.