Hearing loss Board decisions

The Board has determined that the issue of entitlement to service connection for a bilateral foot disability has been granted and rendered moot, thus dismissing this claim without prejudice.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability and PTSD have been granted service connection, with the PTSD receiving a rating of 70 percent prior to March 29, 2011, and 100 percent from that date.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to schedule him for a videoconference hearing due to his failure to appear at the scheduled date. The case will be returned to the Board after the hearing.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling examinations to assess the severity of his service-connected left knee disability, left ear hearing loss, and peripheral neuropathy.

The Board finds that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus are related to his military service, meeting the criteria for service connection.

The Board found that the appellant does not have standing to file a notice of disagreement with the February 23, 1988, rating decision. The issue as to whether the appellant timely filed a notice of disagreement with the February 23, 1988, rating decision is deemed moot.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is found to be as likely as not related to his active military service, and the claim for service connection is granted.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional medical records and determine the character of his discharge. The claims for service connection will be reconsidered based on the new evidence.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to incomplete development of his claims for service connection for bilateral sensorineural hearing loss and a rating in excess of 10 percent for PTSD. The VA examiner needs to address whether the Veteran's pre-existing hearing loss was aggravated by active duty service, and the Veteran needs to be notified about a scheduled PTSD examination.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to a request from the Veteran for a videoconference hearing.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was not incurred during service and the evidence does not establish a continuity of symptoms after service. Therefore, her claim for service connection is denied.

The Board has ordered additional development for the Veteran's hearing loss and PTSD claims, including obtaining service personnel records and scheduling a VA examination. The appeal is remanded to allow for these actions.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete development and need for additional medical opinions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current right ear hearing loss does not meet the regulatory criteria to be considered a disability for VA compensation purposes. Therefore, service connection for right ear hearing loss is denied. For left ear hearing loss, as the Veteran was exposed to in-service acoustic trauma and there are no other factors precluding service connection, the claim is granted.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for right ear hearing loss is being remanded due to the need for additional development and clarification of the medical opinion provided.

The Board finds that there is an approximate balance of positive and negative evidence as to whether the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is related to his noise exposure in service. The criteria for service connection for bilateral hearing loss are met.

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

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete records and need for additional medical opinions regarding the Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining a VA examination and opinion regarding the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability and his employability due to service-connected disabilities.