Hearing loss Board decisions

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has been evaluated as noncompensable throughout the appeal period, and no higher rating is warranted.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss in March 2014, but new evidence submitted by the Veteran has not raised a reasonable possibility of substantiating his claim.,Service connection is granted for a left elbow disability as it had its onset during active duty.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and vision disorder (claimed as secondary to diabetes mellitus) due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to service or service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for left ear/bilateral hearing loss has been denied by the Board of Veterans' Appeals.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss and did not address whether new and material evidence has been received to reopen his kidney condition claim. The skin disability claim was not addressed as it is not related to service connection.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for additional development and a new medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability is at least as likely as not related to service, and thus grants service connection for this condition. The right shoulder issue remains pending.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hearing loss in his right ear is causally related to service, including noise exposure during military service. As a result, the claim for service connection for hearing loss in the right ear is granted.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for left ear hearing loss, finding that there was no evidence of a chronic disability in service and that current hearing loss is not related to noise exposure during service.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently rated as noncompensable, and the Board finds that a compensable rating is not warranted.

The Board has remanded the case due to the inability to obtain an in-prison audiological examination for the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability. The Veteran will be provided with a VA audiologist review of his June 2014 and March 2015 audiological examinations.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right ear hearing loss disability was not manifest during a period of service or for many years thereafter, and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is as likely as not related to his military service, and thus grants service connection for tinnitus. The right ear hearing loss claim remains pending due to insufficient evidence.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss did not have its onset in service, is not otherwise a result of a disease or injury incurred in service, and was not incurred within a year of active service. Therefore, the claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus did not originate in service or within a year of discharge, and are not otherwise etiologically related to service. Therefore, the claims for service connection have been denied.

The Board has remanded the claims for further development due to the need for clarification of speech test used by private audiologists and a new VA examination.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA and private treatment records related to his bilateral hearing loss. The case will also be reviewed in light of any new evidence.

The Veteran's claim for TDIU is being remanded due to the need for clarification on the impact of his service-connected conditions and nonservice-connected substance abuse disorder on his employment.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability was manifested by no worse than Level I hearing impairment in both ears throughout the period on appeal. The criteria for a compensable initial rating have not been met.

The Veteran's left ear hearing loss is related to his military service and the Board has granted service connection for this condition.