Hearing loss Board decisions

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The Board found no evidence to support the requested higher ratings or service connection.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a balance disorder is denied as the evidence does not support a link between his current condition and military service.,From April 5, 2007 to September 8, 2014, the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was rated at level II in the right ear and level XI in the left ear. Since September 8, 2014, the rating has been increased to level IV in the right ear and level VIII in the left ear.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including a 100% rating for hearing loss and a 30% rating for PTSD, prevent him from securing or maintaining gainful employment.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, low back disability, and Meniere's disease due to the Veteran's credible assertions of in-service injury and positive medical opinions supporting a link between his current conditions and service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment consistent with his education and occupational background.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining an addendum opinion regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. The claims will be readjudicated after this development.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right shoulder disability, sinusitis, and bilateral hearing loss are service-connected. However, his claim for bilateral hearing loss is denied as there is no evidence of a current hearing loss disability.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus, right ear hearing loss, and tension headache disorder are service-connected. The heart disability, throat disability, and back disability claims have been denied due to lack of evidence of a current disability.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his military service, as there is no evidence of in-service acoustic trauma or a compensable degree of hearing loss within one year post-service. The VA examiner found it speculative to determine if any current hearing loss or tinnitus were caused by service.

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss is service-connected as it worsened during active duty, and his left ear hearing loss may also be related to service due to exposure to noise. The Veteran's tinnitus is likely linked to his right ear hearing loss.,An initial evaluation in excess of 30 percent for PTSD will need further review.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining new VA examinations and obtaining any outstanding treatment records.

The Veteran's claims for initial compensable evaluations for bilateral hearing loss and increased ratings for tinnitus have been denied as the evidence does not support a higher evaluation under VA rating criteria.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, when evaluated in association with his educational attainment and occupational experience, preclude all forms of substantially gainful employment. The Board finds that the criteria for TDIU under 38 C.F.R. § 4.16(b) have been met.

The Veteran's initial claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were denied as they did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating or higher.,The effective dates for service connection of bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are denied as the original claim was received within one year of discharge.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and arranging for a VA examination. The issue of entitlement to service connection for sleep apnea remains inextricably intertwined with his TDIU claim.

The Board finds that the Veteran's right ear hearing loss had its onset during his combat service in Vietnam and grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's tinnitus was incurred in service and granted. The issues of bilateral hearing loss and PTSD were withdrawn prior to the decision.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination to assess his bilateral hearing loss disability.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss prior to September 30, 2011 is rated at 90 percent and the Board has granted a 100 percent rating on an extraschedular basis.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is not shown to have been present in service or for many years thereafter, nor is it shown to be the result of any incident therein. Therefore, the claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss was denied.