Hearing loss Board decisions

The Veteran's prostate cancer is granted service connection on the basis of Agent Orange exposure. The claim for bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus was denied as there was no evidence of a current diagnosis or in-service exposure.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left ear hearing loss, gastritis, a healed scar of the left eyebrow, and PTSD. The issues related to PTSD were remanded due to disagreement with the initial rating.

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

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for headache disorder and bilateral hearing loss, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to his active service. The examiner noted that the Veteran did not have a current disability for VA purposes regarding his bilateral hearing loss.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus did not manifest within one year of separation from service, and thus could not be presumed to have been incurred therein. The VA examiners concluded that there was no causal relationship between the Veteran's in-service noise exposure and his current disabilities.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was rated at 50 percent effective July 5, 2016.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to determine his employability due to service-connected disabilities from April 5, 2013 to present.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss is currently rated at 50 percent, effective March 17, 2016. The Board finds that the evidence does not support a higher rating prior to this date.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and a skin rash to include as due to Agent Orange exposure. The effective date of these decisions is not addressed in this decision.,Service connection for a right knee disability secondary to a left knee disability remains pending, but an earlier effective date prior to October 25, 2007, for the grant of service connection for a left knee disability has been denied.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals for the issues of entitlement to service connection for asbestosis, COPD, hypertension, and GERD at his hearing before the Board.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss and finds that new and material evidence has been received. The Veteran's current diagnosis of bilateral hearing loss is related to his in-service noise exposure.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim of service connection for back disability and found that new evidence supports a finding that his current back disability is related to an in-service injury. The Board also found no evidence linking his left ear hearing loss to service.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss did not meet the criteria for service connection as there was no evidence of a disease or injury incurred in or aggravated by service, and the claim is denied.

The evidence does not show that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss or tinnitus is related to in-service loud noise exposure, and therefore service connection cannot be established.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue, floor of the mouth, and head and neck, lumbar spine disability, pain radiating into bilateral lower extremities, bilateral hearing loss, and bilateral tinnitus. The Board found that there was no evidence of herbicide exposure during service and insufficient medical evidence to establish a nexus between any current disabilities and service.

The Board has remanded the case due to scheduling issues and will schedule a hearing for the Veteran.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is as likely as not incurred in service, resolving all reasonable doubt in his favor. The claim for bilateral hearing loss remains denied.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD, but the Veteran's claim for bilateral hearing loss is dismissed. The TDIU claim remains pending and will be remanded for further development.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been presented to reopen the claim of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is etiologically related to his noise exposure in service, and therefore, service connection for bilateral hearing loss is granted.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied, and his TDIU claim was also denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating for hearing loss or entitlement to TDIU based on service-connected disabilities.