Hearing loss Board decisions

The Board found that the Veteran does not have a current hearing loss disability for VA purposes and therefore denied service connection for left ear hearing loss.

The Board found that the Veteran's hearing loss disability is adequately described by the current schedular rating criteria and thus, an extraschedular evaluation was not warranted.

The Veteran's appeal for an initial rating in excess of 70 percent for PTSD has been withdrawn. The claims for service connection for right ear hearing loss and for a compensable rating for left ear hearing loss are being remanded.

The Board found no evidence linking the Veteran's current hearing loss and tinnitus to his military service, and thus denied both claims.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have rendered him unable to follow a substantially gainful occupation, and the Board grants a TDIU on an extraschedular basis.

The Veteran's hearing impairment is not worse than level III in either ear, which corresponds to a noncompensable rating.

The Veteran's tinnitus is found to be etiologically related to noise exposure during active military service, and thus service connection for this condition is granted.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and an opinion on the Veteran's employability due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss warrants an initial disability rating of 50 percent, effective July 31, 2009.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining his complete service personnel records and VA treatment records. Additional medical opinions are also needed regarding the diagnoses of psychiatric disorders, vasovagal syncope, seborrheic keratosis and actinic keratosis, and bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been granted service connection, while his lumbar spine osteoarthritis with degenerative disc disease has been rated at 20 percent.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is at least as likely as not related to his military service. The appeal regarding the claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss was remanded.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to a request for a Travel Board hearing at the RO.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn prior to the Board making a decision.

The Veteran's hearing loss is not service-connected as it does not appear to be related to his in-service noise exposure.,His cervical spine disability and left knee condition are not service-connected, with the most likely explanation being that they developed due to natural aging processes rather than service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to insufficient rationale in the VA examiner's opinion regarding the Veteran's claims of bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including a new VA audiological examination to determine if the Veteran's hearing loss is related to in-service noise exposure and whether it constitutes a disability for VA purposes.

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

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral hearing loss disability is denied as the evidence does not show that his preexisting condition increased in severity during service. His claim for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for PTSD is also denied due to failure to report for VA examination.