Hearing loss Board decisions

The Veteran was granted service connection for the residuals of a left biceps injury, including reduced muscle strength. He is also granted a higher rating for his headaches starting from June 15, 2010.,A separate 10 percent rating is assigned for occasional dizziness related to his headaches.

The Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability had onset during his active service, and the Board finds credible and competent the Veteran's account of noise exposure in service. Service connection for bilateral hearing loss is granted.

The Veteran's appeal for various issues related to his service-connected conditions, including a TDIU claim, was dismissed due to the Veteran withdrawing his appeals of Issues 1-6 on the title page. The Board granted a TDIU from November 1, 2011, to November 18, 2012.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss has not resulted in a compensable disability rating as the audiometric test results do not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Veteran wishes to withdraw his appeal seeking to reopen a service connection claim for bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of his service-connected bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's current bilateral sensorineural hearing loss is not related to his active service, as the condition did not manifest within one year of separation and there is no evidence of continuity of symptomatology. The Board finds that the weight of the evidence demonstrates that the current hearing loss is not related to service.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and bilateral pes planus (flat feet) were denied. The Board finds that further development is required to determine the appropriate service connection theory.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, right knee degenerative joint disease, and left knee degenerative joint disease. The Veteran's current disabilities are deemed to be directly related to his active duty service.

The Board found that the Veteran's current left ear hearing loss did not meet VA criteria for a disability and was not related to his in-service noise exposure, thus denying service connection.

Your claims of service connection for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss have been dismissed as there is no case or controversy for the Board to adjudicate.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have current hearing loss disability in either ear for VA purposes, and thus denied service connection for right ear hearing loss. For left ear hearing loss, while there is conceded noise exposure during service, the evidence did not establish a nexus between the current hearing loss and service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining relevant medical records and scheduling a VA examination. The Veteran's claim will be readjudicated based on all evidence.

The Veteran's appeal of the issue of entitlement to service connection for right ear hearing loss has been withdrawn. The case is being remanded for a new VA audiological examination to reassess his left ear hearing loss disability.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining service personnel and treatment records from the Veteran's Mississippi Army National Guard membership. The issues of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss, anxiety disorder, sleep apnea, and psychosis for the purpose of establishing eligibility to treatment are being remanded.

The Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to March 10, 2006, for a 100 percent combined evaluation was denied as he did not have a pending claim at the time of his death.

The Veteran's unemployability is due to his service-connected disabilities, particularly PTSD and prostate cancer with urinary incontinence and erectile dysfunction. The Board has granted TDIU based on the combined effect of these conditions.

The Board found no evidence of a hearing loss disability in service or within one year post-service, and the preponderance of the evidence is against a finding that his current hearing loss is related to his service.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for left ear hearing loss as there is no competent evidence linking the disorder to his active military service. The VA examiner found that there was no substantial change in the Veteran's hearing after the incident in 1985 and no record of hearing loss in the left ear until 2002, which is more than 10 years after separation from service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have prevented him from securing and maintaining gainful employment since December 21, 2007.