Hearing loss Board decisions

The Board has determined that the VA examination conducted in January 2013 is inadequate for the Veteran's hearing loss claim and remanded both the hearing loss and tinnitus claims due to their being inextricably intertwined. The claims are now back before the Board.

The Veteran does not have a current hearing loss disability in either ear for VA compensation purposes, and therefore service connection is denied.

The Board has remanded the case due to a lack of verified service records, and further efforts should be made to verify the appellant's active duty and training periods.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to the AOJ for additional development, including obtaining VA and private treatment records, arranging for a mental disorders examination, and considering whether staged rating of PTSD is appropriate.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional medical examination and development of records. The issues are service connection for a balance disorder, including as secondary to service-connected bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, and entitlement to a compensable disability rating for service-connected bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical opinions and records.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss was granted with an effective date of December 7, 2010. The decision also recognized that the Veteran's claim for tinnitus had been pending since October 1971.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the failure of the RO to promptly notify him that his request for postponement of a scheduled videoconference hearing had not been granted. The Veteran will be given an opportunity to appear at the originally scheduled hearing.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including a new VA examination and obtaining outstanding medical records. The Veteran's claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss will be reconsidered based on the additional evidence.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is not related to his in-service noise exposure and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability as there was no evidence of a current disability, and any potential hearing loss did not manifest within one year after separation from service.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral cataracts, finding that the Veteran's current eye condition is at least as likely as not caused by his service-connected diabetes mellitus.,For the skin condition claim, additional development is needed to determine if there is a link between the Veteran's in-service exposure and his current skin rash.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have service connection for any of the claimed disabilities, as there is no evidence to support a finding of in-service incurrence or chronicity.

The Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss was not incurred in or aggravated by his military service, as there is no evidence of significant noise exposure and the audiometric results did not show a shift in hearing from enlistment to discharge. The Board finds that the weight of medical opinion evidence does not support a finding of service connection.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining additional VA and private treatment records, as well as any pertinent SSA disability benefits records. A supplemental opinion from the social worker who conducted the April 2015 VA Social and Industrial Survey will also be obtained.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right ear hearing loss and left ear hearing loss, finding that there is no evidence of a current disability or a link to service. The claim for tinnitus was granted as it is presumed due to in-service noise exposure.

The Board denied a higher initial rating for diabetes mellitus and remanded the issue of entitlement to a noncompensable rating for bilateral hearing loss prior to November 20, 2007.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied as he does not currently have a disability for VA purposes.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left ear hearing loss and acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, were not incurred or aggravated as a result of active service.

The Veteran meets the criteria for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to his service-connected PTSD, which is rated at 70 percent disabling. His other service-connected conditions do not meet or approximate the percentage requirements for TDIU.