Hearing loss Board decisions

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including an updated VA examination and consideration of his TDIU claim.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining signed informed consent forms and VA treatment records. The case will be re-adjudicated after the development.

The Board denied a compensable rating for the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss, finding that his audiometric evaluations did not demonstrate more profound hearing loss than Level II in the left ear and Level III in the right ear.

The Board has decided to remand the case for additional development, including obtaining private treatment records and an addendum medical opinion. The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are being reviewed.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional development, including obtaining private treatment records and providing an addendum opinion by a VA examiner.

The Veteran's profound bilateral hearing loss, along with other factors such as his age and poor vision, renders him in need of regular aid and attendance due to the inability to hear directions and take advice directly. The Board has determined that he is also housebound due to the same hearing loss making it unsafe for him to navigate his home environment without assistance.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 100 percent, the highest possible rating under VA guidelines. The RO should also consider whether he is eligible for TDIU based on his service-connected disabilities.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to in-service hazardous noise exposure while working as a Fireman (Engine/Mechanical Apprentice) on a U.S. Navy ship, granting service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is being remanded due to the lack of in-service records and the need for a VA examination.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is rated at 10 percent, and his claim for service connection of an asbestos-related lung disease was denied.

The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss disability was denied as his hearing loss did not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is found to be related to in-service acoustic trauma, and service connection for this condition is granted.

The Veteran's right ankle disability is rated at the maximum available rating of 20 percent.,Prior to December 4, 2011, the Veteran's low back disability was rated at 20 percent. Since then, it has been rated at 40 percent.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right ear hearing loss and an initial compensable evaluation for left ear hearing loss, finding that there was no current disability meeting VA criteria for hearing loss in either ear.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities (bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus) do not constitute a serious employment handicap, as determined by the VA rehabilitation counselor. Therefore, he is denied VRE benefits under Chapter 31.

The Veteran's claim for an extraschedular rating for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus was denied as the current schedular ratings are considered commensurate with his average earning capacity impairment.

The Board has granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea and determined that it is proximately due to a service-connected thoracolumbar spine disability. The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, right ear disability, right knee disability, left knee disability, and bilateral hip disability are still pending.

The Board finds that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability is related to noise exposure during his military service and grants service connection for this condition.

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

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling examinations to determine the nature and etiology of his claimed conditions.