Hearing loss Board decisions

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is not related to service, as there was no evidence of a current disability during or within one year after separation from service. The preponderance of the evidence does not support a finding that his hearing loss began in service.

The Board has determined that there is no credible evidence to support the Veteran's claims for service connection of an acquired psychiatric disability, including PTSD, and left ear hearing loss. The Veteran did not engage in combat with an enemy or have a verified stressor related to his claimed conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not meet the criteria for a current diagnosis of bilateral hearing loss as defined by VA regulations, and therefore cannot establish service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's hearing loss prior to March 14, 2013 was rated as noncompensable due to the severity of his bilateral hearing impairment not meeting the criteria for a compensable evaluation.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not warrant a TDIU as they are rated at 100% for depressive disorder and PTSD, with no other disability rated at or above 40%. The Veteran is currently employed and the evidence does not support an unemployability based solely on his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has granted service connection for left ear hearing loss effective from July 14, 2014. The issue of entitlement to an earlier effective date is being remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims of service connection for left ear hearing loss and tinnitus due to additional development being necessary.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have current disabilities of concussion with memory loss and a traumatic brain injury, right ear hearing loss, or left ear hearing loss. The evidence shows no residuals from the motor vehicle accident in service, and there is insufficient medical opinion to establish a link between any current hearing loss and military service.

The evidence does not show that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities alone rendered him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation from June 25, 2010 to December 8, 2013.

The VA denied the Veteran's claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, concluding that there was no evidence to support a link between his current hearing impairment and his military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is related to his in-service noise exposure, and thus service connection for this condition is granted.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure and maintain substantially gainful employment prior to January 15, 2015.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hearing loss disability of the left ear does not warrant a compensable rating during the appeal period.

The Veteran's service connection claim for bilateral hearing loss is granted as it meets the criteria for direct service connection due to exposure to acoustic trauma during active duty and reported continuity of symptoms.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left ear hearing loss is service-connected and granted a compensable disability rating.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to the need for a VA examination and to obtain outstanding treatment records.

The Board has found that the Veteran's tinnitus is service-connected, as his current diagnosis of tinnitus and credible statements regarding its onset during service are sufficient to meet the criteria for service connection. The case is being remanded for additional development related to bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeals for dizziness, inner ear pain, right ear hearing loss, and left ear hearing loss. The Board does not have jurisdiction to review these claims.

The Board has decided to remand the case for further development due to outstanding medical records and the need for an updated VA examination.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a video hearing. Service connection claims and increased rating claims are pending.