Hearing loss Board decisions

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including scheduling a VA examination and obtaining updated treatment records. The TDIU claim will also be addressed.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to obtain the Veteran's VA medical records and to provide him with a VA examination for his hearing loss, low back disability, bilateral foot disabilities, peripheral neuropathy of the left lower extremity, and peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity. The examiner will be asked to determine if these conditions are related to service, including presumed Agent Orange exposure.

The Board has granted service connection for residuals of a compression fracture of the back and headaches, but dismissed the appeals regarding bilateral hearing loss and right shoulder dislocation due to withdrawal by the Veteran.

The Veteran's appeal was denied for a compensable rating for dermatitis of the bilateral hands. The other issues were either not addressed or denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and providing the Veteran with appropriate examinations to determine the nature and etiology of his claimed conditions.

The Veteran is seeking an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss, which has been rated as noncompensable from August 24, 2011. The Board finds that a new examination is needed to fully and fairly evaluate the Veteran's claim.

The Veteran's initial claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support an increased rating from July 27, 2011, to February 1, 2012; in excess of 30 percent from February 2, 2012, to September 13, 2012, or in excess of 10 percent from September 14, 2012, to May 10, 2015. A compensable rating was assigned effective May 11, 2015.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's currently diagnosed left ear hearing loss was not present during active service, did not manifest within one year of discharge from service, and did not develop as a result of any incident during service. Therefore, the claim for service connection for left ear hearing loss is denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is causally related to his military service, including noise exposure. The claim for a neck disability was remanded due to lack of evidence and will be addressed in a future decision.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and peripheral neuropathy of the left upper extremity, but denied service connection for tissue damage secondary to removal of a mass from the neck.

The Board found that the Veteran's current left ear hearing loss is not etiologically related to his period of service, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's PTSD is diagnosed and linked to his service stressors, thus service connection for PTSD is granted. The other issues are not addressed as they do not pertain to service connection.

The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss was denied as there is no evidence to support a rating in excess of 10 percent since February 16, 2010 and the preponderance of the evidence does not support a compensable evaluation prior to that date.

The Board finds that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is not related to his military service, specifically noise exposure. Therefore, the claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a right ear hearing loss disability for VA purposes and therefore, service connection is denied.

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

The Veteran's claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss is being remanded due to the need for a new VA audiological examination to assess whether he currently has a hearing loss disability and its likely etiology.

The Veteran does not have a current bilateral hearing loss disability that meets the criteria for service connection as defined by VA regulations.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current hearing loss disability for VA purposes and there is no evidence of tinnitus in service or continuity of symptoms since service. Therefore, service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus is denied.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is found to be due to noise exposure during his military service, and the claim for service connection is granted.