Hearing loss Board decisions

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for sinusitis and lung disorder, finding no current disability related to these conditions. The Veteran was not diagnosed with a lung disorder at his September 2016 VA examination, and there is no evidence of any current hearing loss or sinusitis.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is found to be related to his active service, and he is granted service connection for this condition. The Board also finds that the Veteran's bilateral peripheral neuropathy of the upper and lower extremities are not directly related to his service-connected diabetes mellitus, type II.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to in-service acoustic trauma, resolving reasonable doubt in his favor.

The Board has determined that additional VA examinations are needed to address the Veteran's claims for service connection, as well as his assertions regarding the etiology of his hearing loss and headaches. The case is therefore being remanded.

The Board has granted service connection for lower urinary tract symptoms, hemorrhoids, and athlete's foot. The Veteran's LUTS was incurred in service, his hemorrhoids were incurred in service, and his athlete's foot disability is aggravated by service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus, low back disability, and bilateral hearing loss were incurred in service. The Veteran will now be granted service connection for these conditions.

The Board has determined that service connection is not warranted for bilateral hearing loss and denied the claim for a left shoulder disorder due to lack of probative evidence linking the current conditions to service.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination to determine the nature, severity, and origin of the Veteran's claimed bilateral hearing loss condition.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability is related to his military service, including noise exposure. The claim for service connection for lung disease (claimed as COPD) is denied.

The Veteran's recurrent tinnitus is etiologically related to his military service, and the Board finds that the criteria for service connection have been met.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and development of his claims. Specifically, he needs a VA examination to assess whether his current hearing loss and right femur disability are related to service or other causes.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities meet the schedular requirement for a TDIU and are reasonably shown to render him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation since October 16, 2012.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are service-connected, with the latter being secondary to his service-connected hearing loss.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is related to his military service, as evidenced by unprotected noise exposure during his 4 years in the military. As all three prongs of service connection are met, the claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is granted.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for bilateral hearing loss was denied as his initial claim was received on December 14, 2010.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The claim for service connection for bilateral tinnitus, to include as secondary to the now-service connected bilateral hearing loss, is remanded.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied, and his request to reopen the previously denied lower back disability claim was not successful.

The Veteran requested to withdraw his appeal for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, and the Board has dismissed the appeal.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were denied in 1989. He filed a petition to reopen his claims on March 28, 2013, which was granted with an effective date of March 28, 2013. The claim for earlier effective dates is denied as there are no subsequent claims earlier than the March 28, 2013 petition to reopen.

The Board has ordered a remand due to the need for additional development and examination regarding the Veteran's claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss.