Hearing loss Board decisions

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is rated at 40 percent, effective October 4, 2001. This rating reflects the severity of his service-connected bilateral sensorineural hearing loss alone and in combination with other conditions such as tinnitus.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical records from prior hearing tests and hearing aid use. A VA audiologic examination will be conducted to determine if his current hearing loss and tinnitus are related to service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation from October 24, 2013. The Board has granted a TDIU for this period.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to determine the nature and etiology of his claimed psychiatric, knee, hearing loss, and rhabdomyolysis disabilities.

The Board has decided to remand the case for further development, including obtaining a new VA medical opinion and requesting the Veteran's separation examination report.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are being remanded as the VA examination provided by the November 2010 examiner is inadequate. The Board requires a new VA examination to determine if his current hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his in-service noise exposure.

The Board has dismissed the appeal of the Veteran's claim for service connection for a lumbosacral spine strain, to include degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine. The claims for service connection for dyslipidemia and bilateral hearing loss disability have been granted. However, the claim for hypertension (to include as secondary to IHD) has not been resolved.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and development of his claims.

The Veteran has been granted service connection for PTSD, a hearing loss disability of the left ear, and tinnitus.,These conditions are all related to his active military service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, hypercholesterolemia as due to herbicide exposure, hypertension and swelling of the left leg secondary to diabetes mellitus has been reopened. His diabetes mellitus is rated at a 20 percent disability rating.

The Veteran's currently diagnosed tinnitus is at least as likely as not related to active service, and the Board grants his claim for service connection for tinnitus. The issue of hearing loss remains pending.

The Veteran's claims for increased disability ratings for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, as well as his claim for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder including PTSD are being remanded due to the need for a videoconference hearing.

The Veteran's hearing loss was rated as Level II in both ears, resulting in a noncompensable rating. The Board found no evidence of service connection for dizzy spells and denied the claim.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current right ear hearing loss disability as defined by VA regulations, and therefore service connection for this condition is denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right ear hearing loss had its onset during service and is related to his military service, granting service connection for this condition.

The Board finds that the Veteran's current conditions, including bilateral hearing loss and various orthopedic disabilities, are not service-connected due to lack of evidence showing a direct relationship between his active service and these conditions.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeal of the claims for increased ratings for his lumbar spine, left lower extremity, bilateral hearing loss, and hemorrhoid disabilities, as well as entitlement to a TDIU.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss prior to April 29, 2016 was granted with a 40 percent disability rating.,For the period from April 29, 2016 onwards, the Veteran's claim for an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss remains denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current hearing loss disability for VA purposes in his right ear and therefore cannot establish service connection. For his left ear, while he meets the criteria for a current hearing loss disability under VA regulations, there is no evidence of an in-service injury or disease resulting in such a disability. The Board also found that tinnitus was not incurred during service.