Hearing loss Board decisions

The Board finds that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to service noise exposure, as there is no evidence of an onset in service or within a reasonable time after active duty. The preponderance of the evidence supports denial of these claims.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is found to be etiologically related to the acoustic trauma he sustained in active service, and thus granted service connection.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently evaluated as noncompensable, with no more than Level IV hearing acuity in the right ear and Level II hearing acuity in the left ear.,The Veteran's left shoulder disability is currently evaluated as 10 percent disabling, with range of motion limited to 120 degrees of flexion and abduction.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have a current hearing disability as defined by VA regulations, and thus service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability was reduced from a 20% rating to a 0% rating effective March 1, 2012 due to improvement in his hearing acuity.

The Board finds that the Veteran has established service connection for tinnitus due to noise exposure during active duty, but there is no evidence of hearing loss in service or a current disability. The Veteran's hearing loss claim cannot be granted as it lacks a nexus to his military service.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn, and the issues of a higher rating for bilateral hearing loss and service connection for rheumatoid arthritis have been dismissed.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has been rated at 10 percent since March 2014, and the RO denied an increased rating.,The Veteran's sleep apnea associated with diabetes mellitus type II was not found to warrant a higher than 50 percent disability rating.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability is not related to his military service, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss is rated as zero percent disabling, and the Board finds no basis to grant a higher rating.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to incomplete records and unclear explanations regarding previous audiometric testing.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability does not warrant a compensable rating under the applicable schedular criteria. The claim for service connection for a seizure disorder is granted.

The Board has determined that further development is needed to determine if the Appellant can be substituted as a claimant for her deceased husband's pending claims. If substitution is denied, the AOJ will readjudicate the Veteran's pending claims for accrued benefits purposes only. If substitution is granted, the AOJ should provide adequate notice and conduct any additional development deemed necessary.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has been rated at the highest available level (50%) based on his exceptional pattern of hearing impairment, and no higher rating is warranted.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tension headaches, GERD, and loose bowels have all been denied as there is no evidence of current disabilities or a link to military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current left ear hearing loss is not related to his military service, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining VA examinations and medical records to assess the severity of his posttraumatic stress disorder and bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss was granted, but the effective date is set at June 11, 2008, which is when VA received his initial application. The Veteran argued that he submitted his application earlier in April 2008, but there is no evidence to support this claim.

The Board found that the reduction of the disability rating for bilateral hearing loss from 20 percent to noncompensable effective June 1, 2009 was not proper.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus did not manifest during or as a result of his military service, and thus denied these claims. For the lumbar condition, the Board determined there was no evidence of continuity of symptomatology from service to present, and therefore denied this claim.