Hearing loss Board decisions

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus are related to his active service, granting service connection for both conditions.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain an addendum opinion regarding the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus had its onset during service and has existed since then, granting service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for a new VA examination and obtaining outstanding medical records. The case will be reconsidered after these actions.

The Veteran's hearing loss has been manifested by no worse than level II hearing in the right ear and level III hearing in the left ear, resulting in a noncompensable disability rating.

The Veteran's appeal of his claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss has been withdrawn by his representative. As a result, the Board does not have jurisdiction to review this issue and it is dismissed.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss is currently evaluated as 20 percent disabling, effective September 22, 2015. The Board finds that the evidence does not support a compensable evaluation prior to this date.

The Veteran seeks service connection for bilateral hearing loss related to noise exposure during his active duty in the U.S. Army from March 1967 to December 1968, including service in Vietnam. The VA examiner found no reasonable basis for delayed-onset hearing loss and concluded that the Veteran's hearing loss is not related to military service.

The Board found that the Veteran's right ear hearing loss did not manifest during service or within one year of separation, and is not related to disease or injury incurred in or aggravated by active service. Therefore, service connection for right ear hearing loss was denied.

The Veteran's service connection claim for bilateral hearing loss is granted as the evidence shows in-service acoustic trauma, continuous symptoms since service separation, and current diagnosis of bilateral sensorineural hearing loss.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including scheduling a VA examination.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including a VA audiological examination.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss is currently rated as noncompensable. The Board finds that the Veteran does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating due to his symptoms being within the range of normal hearing. For insomnia, the Board found that it was aggravated by active duty service and granted service connection.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has been manifested, at its worst, by Level II hearing in the right ear and Level III in the left ear. The criteria for an initial, compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss are not met.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to in-service noise exposure, granting service connection for these conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the current disabilities are related to in-service noise exposure. The Veteran's claims have been remanded for additional development regarding his claim of entitlement to a total disability rating based upon individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, a low back disability, leg cramps, and a bilateral leg disability. The decision found that there was no clear and unmistakable evidence of pre-service existence for leg cramps and that the right knee meniscus tear and bilateral knee degenerative joint disease were not related to service-connected conditions.

The Board found that the Veteran's right ear hearing loss does not present such an exceptional or unusual disability picture with related factors as marked interference with employment or frequent periods of hospitalization, and thus did not meet the criteria for referral to consider an extraschedular rating.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and arranging for a VA examination to assess his lower back disability. The claims will be readjudicated after the additional development.