Hearing loss Board decisions

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding no evidence of in-service noise exposure or chronic conditions. Service connection was granted for bunions of the feet.,Service connection was granted for tinnitus based on in-service noise exposure.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, erectile dysfunction, and bilateral hearing loss due to a lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Veteran does not have a right ear hearing loss disability for VA compensation purposes and therefore, his claim of service connection is denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions were denied. The Board found that there was no credible supporting evidence of the claimed stressors and no current diagnosis of PTSD. For bilateral pes planus, the Board noted that the disability existed prior to active duty and did not worsen during service.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD is granted at a 70 percent evaluation from July 14, 2008 through April 15, 2012. Beginning on July 1, 2012, the Veteran's PTSD is granted at a 100 percent evaluation.

The Board has remanded the case due to uncertainty regarding the type of active duty performed by the appellant during his National Guard service, and whether it qualifies as active duty, active duty for training, or inactive duty for training. The case will be returned to the AOJ for further development.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's current hearing loss is related to his in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's appeal for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss and chronic low back pain with degenerative changes is dismissed. The Board finds that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment, thus granting a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Veteran's bilateral sensorineural hearing loss is service-connected. The Board finds that the Veteran did not have a right or left hearing loss 'disability' which existed prior to service, and the Veteran was found to have a right and left hearing loss disability per VA standards during service as demonstrated by May 1966 audiometric readings. As such, the Veteran is entitled to service connection for bilateral sensorineural hearing loss.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The Veteran now meets the threshold criterion for current bilateral hearing loss disability, as evidenced by VA and private audiometry results showing pure tone thresholds indicative of such a disability. Therefore, the appeal is granted.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination for the Veteran's claimed disabilities. The case will be returned to the Board after completion of these actions.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently rated as 10 percent disabling, effective May 2, 2014. The Veteran's unspecified depressive disorder is currently rated as 30 percent disabling.,The Veteran seeks higher evaluations for his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are at least as likely as not a result of his in-service noise exposure, and thus grants service connection for these conditions.

The Board has determined that further development is needed to ensure all relevant evidence is considered in the decision regarding the Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss. The case is therefore being remanded.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss was denied. The claim for increased rating for PTSD was granted, but the initial noncompensable rating remains in effect.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his active service, including exposure to noise from jet engines. As a result, he is granted service connection for these conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are etiologically related to his service, with reasonable doubt resolved in favor of the Veteran. Therefore, service connection is granted for both conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right ear hearing loss and Meniere's disease with vertigo are related to his military service, granting service connection for both conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to service, as they were first experienced during service. The evidence shows current diagnoses of bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, with no standard threshold shift in either ear at separation from service.

The Veteran's appeal for an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied. Service connection and a noncompensable rating were granted for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine with associated radicular symptoms in his bilateral lower extremities. The issue of service connection for psoriasis remains pending as it requires further review.