Hearing loss Board decisions

The Veteran's appeal was denied as the AOJ found that Attorney R.B.G. was entitled to attorney fees in the amount of $18,523 for services provided during his representation from June 2010 to February 2011.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus, make him unable to obtain or retain substantially gainful employment. The Board finds that the criteria for Total Disability Rating based on Individual Unemployability (TDIU) are met.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining addendum opinions from VA examiners to address the nature and etiology of his hearing loss, tinnitus, and lung disability claims. The TDIU claim will also be addressed.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining an opinion on whether the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is related to his military service and for obtaining relevant VA treatment records.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability was not incurred or aggravated in service and is not related to his military noise exposure. The claim for service connection is denied.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied, and the effective date for recognizing his wife as dependent was set at February 10, 2015. The Board found that an earlier effective date could not be granted.

The Veteran's claims for anal or rectal disability, bilateral hearing loss, and right ankle disability have all been denied as there is no evidence of a current disability related to service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, and GERD have been denied as there is no evidence of a current disability meeting VA criteria.,Service connection has not been established for the claimed conditions.

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

The Board has determined that additional evidence is needed to fully and fairly consider the Veteran's claims, including obtaining VA treatment records, private medical records, and a VA examination for his claimed disabilities.

The Board has found that the Veteran's current diagnoses of bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and a skin disability (tinea versicolor) are all service-connected. The decision also notes that the Veteran's in-service exposure to combat noise trauma likely contributed to his current conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional medical records and to schedule VA examinations for his claimed conditions. The appeals will be reconsidered after the additional information and evaluations are obtained.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to scheduling issues for a videoconference Board hearing. The claims will be returned to the Board after the hearing.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current hearing loss and tinnitus are at least as likely as not caused by his exposure to excessive noise during military service, leading to a grant of service connection for both conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claimed right and left knee disabilities, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and bilateral foot disability are not related to his active service. The evidence does not support a finding of in-service injury or disease for any of these conditions.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is related to noise exposure during his active duty service, and the Board has granted service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's service connection claim for bilateral sensorineural hearing loss was denied as there is no evidence of continuous symptoms since service and the current condition is not causally related to his military service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied as there is no evidence of a current disability. The claim for an initial rating higher than 10 percent for cervical spine disability prior to September 11, 2013, and for a rating higher than 40 percent thereafter is also denied.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has been evaluated as noncompensable throughout the appeal period. The Board finds no basis for a higher rating based on the current evidence of record.

The appeal is being remanded for an updated VA examination to assess the Veteran's current level of bilateral hearing loss. The Veteran has requested such an update due to indications of worsening since the last VA examination and the lack of adequate evidence of record to rate the condition at this time.