Hearing loss Board decisions

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss disability is manifested by no more than level I hearing loss in both ears, with no significant effect on employment or activities of daily living. The Board finds that the criteria for an initial compensable rating have not been met.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is not related to her active duty service and denied her claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that further development is needed, including obtaining new VA examinations and retrieving any outstanding medical treatment records. The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for left ear hearing loss, service connection for right ear hearing loss and tinnitus of the right ear, and service connection for a bilateral knee disability are being remanded.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and chronic fatigue syndrome were denied. The issues of initial ratings for maxillary sinusitis, tension-type headaches, and PTSD, major depressive disorder and obsessive compulsive disorder were also addressed but the disposition is unknown as the appeal was not about service connection at all.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was initially rated as noncompensable prior to October 29, 2012. From October 29, 2012 to August 7, 2014, the rating was increased to 20 percent and from August 7, 2014, it was further increased to 30 percent. The effective date for these ratings is January 8, 2008.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for his bilateral hearing loss is denied as of September 21, 2015.,The appeals for earlier effective dates for TDIU and SMC at the housebound rate are also denied.

The Board has granted service connection for a low back disability and bilateral hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's current disabilities are attributable to his active service.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to insufficient rationale in the previous opinion regarding whether the Veteran's bilateral tinnitus is caused by his service-connected bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's lumbar spine disability and bilateral hearing loss are rated at the minimum schedular levels. The Board denied extraschedular consideration for the lumbar spine disability, finding that it does not present such an exceptional or unusual disability picture as to render the regular schedular standards inadequate. For TDIU, the Veteran did not meet the percentage requirements under 38 C.F.R. § 4.16(a).

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has been determined to be related to his military service.,Service connection for the stress fracture of the right distal fibula has been established and a 10% evaluation has been granted.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU are being remanded to obtain updated treatment records, a VA examination, and further development.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied for lung disorder, liver disorder, tendonitis, bilateral hearing loss, and diabetes mellitus with erectile dysfunction. The Veteran's PTSD claim was granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is service-connected, but his claim for bilateral hearing loss remains pending as there are no audiometric records available to determine its etiology.

The Veteran seeks service connection for bilateral hearing loss and a compensable rating for residuals of hemorrhagic fever. The Board finds that the evidence does not support these claims.,There is no current diagnosis or active symptoms for either condition, and there is insufficient evidence to establish a causal relationship between the conditions and military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is related to service and grants this claim. However, there is no evidence of a current acquired psychiatric disability such as PTSD, and thus service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability cannot be granted.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's tinnitus is at least as likely as not caused by in-service noise exposure. The claim of bilateral hearing loss remains pending and will be addressed in a separate decision.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is a result of noise exposure during his military service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's hearing loss was rated at 10 percent from February 25, 2014 to April 6, 2014. The Board found that a higher rating is not warranted for any other period.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for TBI, PTSD, an acquired psychiatric disability other than PTSD, joint pain manifested by undiagnosed illness (Gulf War Syndrome), and bilateral hearing loss were all denied.,No current disabilities related to the claimed conditions were found.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of bilateral hearing loss was denied as the Veteran did not file a claim prior to September 6, 2013.