Hearing loss Board decisions

The Board has determined that the claims file is incomplete and requires additional service treatment records, specifically a missing separation examination from active service. The Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus are being remanded for further development.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining a VA audiological examination to determine the relationship between his current hearing loss and tinnitus and service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a VA examination to assess his bilateral hearing loss and because of an incomplete VA Form 21-8940. The TDIU claim is also inextricably intertwined with the increased rating claim.

The Veteran's service-connected GERD, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus are found to be the primary causes of his diagnosed depressive disorder with anxious distress features. The Board grants service connection for this acquired psychiatric disability on a secondary basis.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional information and evidence, as well as to schedule a VA examination.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are at least as likely as not related to his military service, including exposure to noise during basic training. As a result, the claims for service connection for these conditions have been granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss does not warrant an initial compensable rating at any time during this appeal.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss has been shown to be productive of no more than a Level II hearing impairment in the right ear and Level III in the left ear, warranting no more than a noncompensable [zero percent] rating under the pertinent diagnostic code.

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss is rated as non-compensable, with no effective date provided.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability did not manifest in-service or for many years thereafter and is not related to service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination to determine the etiology of his hearing loss.

The Veteran's lumbar and cervical spine conditions are found to have been aggravated by service, warranting service connection.,Bilateral hearing loss is not supported by the evidence of record.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not combine to render him unable to obtain and retain substantially gainful employment, as his combined rating is only 60 percent.

The Veteran's left ear disability, including chronic otitis media with perforated eardrum and hearing loss, was rated as 10 percent for the period from July 5, 2010 through February 24, 2011. After this date, his condition did not meet criteria for a higher rating under applicable diagnostic codes.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining a clarifying opinion from the VA examiner and scheduling him for an audiological examination to determine the current severity of his bilateral hearing loss disability.

The Veteran is found to be unemployable due to service-connected bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, which prevent him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is related to his military service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Board finds that the criteria for a compensable rating for left ear hearing loss have not been met, and therefore, the claim is denied.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation from November 1, 2005 forward. The Board granted TDIU effective November 1, 2005.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has been rated as 10 percent disabling since June 26, 2015. The Board found that the evidence did not meet criteria for a higher rating at any point.