Hearing loss Board decisions

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied as there is no current disability meeting VA criteria.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to incomplete records and further evidentiary development is needed.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional treatment records, provide proper notice regarding TDIU, and schedule a VA examination.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss did not have its clinical onset in service and is not otherwise related to active duty. As a result, the claim for service connection was denied.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss was withdrawn. The Board granted a TDIU from February 12, 2014, based on his service-connected disabilities. The case is remanded to schedule the Veteran for a videoconference hearing regarding his claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been granted. Tinnitus is found to be related to in-service noise exposure, while the bilateral hearing loss claim is based on new evidence of current disability.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for reactive airway disease, allergies, ehrlichiosis, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus were denied as the evidence did not meet the criteria for direct service connection due to lack of in-service incurrence or aggravation. The Board found that there was no competent medical evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current disability of bilateral hearing loss for VA purposes, and thus service connection is denied.

The Board denied service connection for a back disorder, hyperlipidemia, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to the Veteran's military service.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has been evaluated as noncompensable, and the Board finds that a compensable rating is not warranted.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was evaluated as level II in the right ear and level I in the left ear, resulting in a noncompensable evaluation. The Board found that these levels do not warrant a compensable rating.

The Board found that the Veteran's left ear hearing loss was noted at the time of his entrance into service and did not undergo an increase in severity during his period of active duty. The examiner opined that the current hearing loss is more likely related to civilian noise exposure.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied, and his claim for service connection for an eye disability (glaucoma) is pending. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating for bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining speech recognition test results and scheduling a VA examination to assess the current severity of his bilateral hearing loss disability.

The Board finds that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss did not manifest during service, was not caused by an in-service event or injury, and did not manifest within one year of separation from service. Therefore, the criteria for service connection have not been met.

The Veteran does not have a bilateral hearing loss disability of sufficient severity to constitute a disability for VA compensation purposes. The Board finds that the evidence does not support the claim for service connection and there is no doubt to be resolved.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is related to service, and thus granted service connection for this condition. The hearing loss claim remains pending as VA audiological examination is needed.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his military service, as there was no evidence of progression during service and post-service civilian occupations provided sufficient noise exposure. The claim for service connection is denied.

The Veteran's claim for an initial, compensable disability rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied as his audiometric testing did not reveal any worse than Level I hearing in either ear.

The Veteran's initial claim for an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied as his condition did not warrant a higher disability rating.