Hearing loss Board decisions

The Veteran's tinnitus is related to in-service acoustic trauma and the Board finds service connection for this condition.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete development and need for additional opinions on the TBI claim. The Veteran's claims of service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, and headaches are also being considered.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed before the claims can be fully adjudicated, including obtaining medical records and providing an opinion on whether the Veteran's hearing loss is related to service.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus, finding that his current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his active duty service. The claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied as there is no evidence of a worsening of preexisting left ear hearing loss during service.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral foot plantar fasciitis, which includes the right and left feet. The Veteran's hearing loss disability is also addressed in this decision.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that new and material evidence has been submitted. The Board also granted service connection for these conditions on a de novo basis.

The Veteran's death did not occur prior to October 22, 2005 and his service-connected disabilities were not rated as 100% disabling for at least eight years immediately preceding his death. Therefore, the appellant is denied accrued benefits and Dependency and Indemnity Compensation benefits at the enhanced rate.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss is currently manifested by auditory acuity levels corresponding to Level I impairment, which does not warrant a compensable rating.

The Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss is being remanded due to the need for a VA examination and additional development of his outpatient treatment records.

The Veteran's claim for increased evaluation of his bilateral hearing loss is being remanded due to the need to obtain additional VA treatment records.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, PTSD, and an acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD. The evidence did not meet the criteria for a current disability as defined by VA regulations.

The Board finds that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities prevent him from securing and following substantially gainful employment consistent with his education and occupational experience, granting a TDIU on an extraschedular basis.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including scheduling a VA examination to determine the etiology of the Veteran's claimed bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining private treatment records and providing a VA examination to determine if any current back or right leg disability is related to service.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for bilateral sensorineural hearing loss was denied. A TDIU was granted effective February 20, 2013, and the highest rating of 80% for hearing loss was assigned effective February 20, 2013.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to his death. No service connection decisions were made.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability did not meet the criteria for service connection as it was not shown to be related to his military service, including on a delayed or latent onset theory of causation.

The Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability had onset during his active service and the Board finds that he is entitled to service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss is currently rated at 30 percent, effective from April 29, 2014. The current rating adequately reflects the severity of his disability as it considers functional impairment due to background noise and environmental factors.

The Board has remanded the issues of entitlement to initial increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, to include on an extraschedular basis.