Hearing loss Board decisions

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss is currently evaluated at 20 percent, and the Board finds that this evaluation adequately reflects his level of disability.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the possibility of worsening symptoms, and a new VA examination is needed to assess his current bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including a VA examination to determine if he experienced TBI due to an in-service blast and whether his current hearing loss and tinnitus are related to that injury.

The Board finds that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is due to exposure to hazardous noise levels during his active service as a sniper and infantryman, and grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied, and his initial ratings for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss were also denied. The Board found no legal basis for higher initial ratings.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's post-operative residuals of right and left lower extremity cold injury, bilateral hearing loss disability, and tinnitus are all attributable to service. The partial amputations were due to diabetes mellitus rather than the in-service cold injuries.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's tinnitus is at least as likely as not a symptom of his service-connected bilateral hearing loss.

The Board finds that service connection for a bilateral hearing loss disability is not warranted as the Veteran's current hearing loss does not meet the criteria for a chronic disease under 38 C.F.R. § 3.309(a) and there is no evidence of in-service noise exposure or an in-service event, injury, or disease that could be causally related to his current condition.

The Veteran's service-connected left ear hearing loss, headaches, and traumatic brain injury have been granted. The Veteran is now rated at 70% for his traumatic brain injury.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to incomplete records and need for additional medical opinions. The Veteran's claims for service connection for left ear sensorineural hearing loss and tinnitus will be reviewed again with new evidence and expert opinion.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher initial rating for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss was denied by the Board. The case is being remanded to obtain audiogram results from an August 2013 VA audiology note.

The Board found that the Veteran's right ear hearing loss disability does not meet or approximate the criteria for a compensable evaluation under VA rating criteria.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability does not meet or approximate the criteria for a compensable rating under VA's Schedule for Rating Disabilities. The non-compensable (0%) rating assigned by the RO in its March 2010 rating decision is therefore denied.

The Veteran's left ankle disability was reduced from a 20% rating to a 10% rating, and his bilateral hearing loss was reduced from a 30% rating to noncompensable. The effective dates for these reductions were amended to June 1, 2016.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a TDIU due to his service-connected bilateral hearing loss, finding that it did not meet the schedular requirements and that there was insufficient evidence to show he is unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss preexisted service and was not aggravated by service. Therefore, the claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current disability for service connection purposes due to lack of hearing loss in his left ear. For his right ear, there is no evidence of a significant change in hearing between entrance and separation from service, and the VA examiner concluded that the Veteran's hearing loss was not related to service based on the absence of a significant change in hearing.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus are as likely as not attributable to service, resolving reasonable doubt in his favor.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for updated VA audiology records and a new examination. The Veteran was previously granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss with a rating of 20 percent effective December 14, 2011.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the claim of service connection for right ear hearing loss. The Veteran's current right ear hearing loss is found to be related to noise exposure during his military service.