Hearing loss Board decisions

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

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is not related to his active service and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Board found no evidence of hearing loss or tinnitus in service, and the medical opinion concluded that these conditions are not related to service. The Veteran's current hearing loss is diagnosed as sensorineural hearing loss, which was not shown during service.

The Board found that the reduction in the disability rating for bilateral hearing loss from 10 percent to noncompensable was not proper. The Veteran is entitled to a compensable rating of 20 percent for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for service-connected hemorrhoids and left ear hearing loss were denied as there was no evidence of the severity required for a compensable rating.

The Veteran's service-connected hearing loss does not render him so helpless as to require the regular aid and attendance of another person to perform personal care functions or to protect himself from hazards. The Board found that his nonservice-connected disabilities, such as Alzheimer's disease, COPD, cervical spine disease, gouty arthritis, diabetes mellitus, and emphysema, result in him needing assistance with daily activities.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and recurrent tinnitus are found to have begun during service due to noise exposure, and the Board has granted service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's claims for increased disability ratings for right knee degenerative joint disease, left ear hearing loss, migraine headaches, and allergic rhinitis have been granted effective from August 19, 2013. The Veteran is now rated at 10 percent for each of these conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right shoulder disability is not related to his service and therefore denied this claim. The hearing loss claim will be remanded for further development.

The Board has determined that a VA examination is needed to address the medical matters raised by the appellant's claims of service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus. The case will be returned to the AOJ for further action.

The Board has determined that the evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether the Veteran's vertigo is etiologically related to his service-connected bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, thus granting service connection for vertigo.

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss is not compensable, as it does not meet the criteria for a rating higher than Level IX under VA regulations.

The Veteran is found unemployable due to his service-connected disabilities, including anxiety disorder, bilateral hearing loss, and bilateral tinnitus. The combined rating of these conditions meets the criteria for a TDIU.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is being remanded for further development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and an addendum opinion from the July 2015 VA examiner regarding the extent of functional impairment due to his service-connected right and left upper and lower extremity neuritis.

The Board has remanded the case due to a need for additional examination and opinion regarding the Veteran's hearing loss disability. The issue is still pending as service connection may be granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his service, with the onset of symptoms during service. Therefore, the claims for service connection have been granted.

The Veteran's appeal for a compensable evaluation for bilateral hearing loss prior to January 16, 2016 has been dismissed as he withdrew his appeal.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a right ear hearing loss disability and a compensable rating for otitis media, finding no current disability as defined by VA regulations.

The Board finds that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is related to his in-service acoustic trauma, and resolves reasonable doubt in favor of service connection.

The Board found no evidence of an in-service injury or incident that resulted in the Veteran's current right knee disability, and thus denied service connection for this condition.,For his left knee disability, the Board determined there was insufficient evidence to establish a nexus between the condition and service. The Veteran's left knee disability is not considered related to any incident during active duty.