Hearing loss Board decisions

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including new VA examinations and a review of his claims file to determine the current severity of his right ankle disability, as well as whether he has a current hearing loss disability and tinnitus associated with military service.

The Veteran's current bilateral sensorineural hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his period of active service, including in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for a supplemental VA medical opinion to determine if his left ear hearing loss is related to service, including in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not include the anatomical loss or loss of use of both hands, blindness in both eyes with 5/200 visual acuity, deep partial thickness burns that have resulted in contractures with limitation of motion of two or more extremities or of at least one extremity and the trunk, full thickness or subdermal burns that have resulted in contractures with limitation of motion of one or more extremities or the trunk, or residuals of an inhalation injury. Therefore, his claim for a special home adaptation grant is denied.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been withdrawn before the Board could make a decision.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are found to be related to his in-service exposure to noise, which is established. Service connection for these conditions is granted.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, which represents a complete grant of the benefits sought with respect to that disability. The Veteran's right ear hearing loss does not meet VA criteria for a current disability and thus his claim is denied.

The Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss is being remanded due to the need for an addendum VA medical opinion considering a recent article submitted by the Veteran.

The Board has granted a 20% disability rating for bilateral hearing loss effective June 3, 2014. The Veteran's hearing impairment was found to be consistent with this rating level based on the VA and private audiometric evaluations conducted in August 2011 and June 2014.

The Veteran does not have hearing loss, tinnitus, or a respiratory disability that is related to his service. His claims for these conditions are denied.

The Board found that the appellant's bilateral hearing loss is not related to his period of active duty for training and denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is related to his military service, specifically noise exposure during active duty. The claim for service connection is granted.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD. The decision found that there was no evidence of a current disability in any of these conditions.

The Veteran's initial ratings for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been denied as they are already at the maximum schedular rating.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability was granted an initial rating of 20 percent effective February 25, 2014.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the Veteran's claim for service connection for right ear hearing loss. The Board finds that the Veteran's preexisting right ear hearing loss was aggravated during his active duty service, warranting service connection.

The Board has remanded the claims due to deficiencies in a previous VA examination, and new evidence is needed before service connection can be determined.

The most probative evidence does not link the Veteran's claimed bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus to his service. The VA examiner found no evidence of hearing loss or tinnitus in service, and the Veteran reported that he did not seek treatment for these conditions until after service.

The Veteran's tinnitus was found to be incurred in service, and the Board granted service connection for this condition. The hearing loss disability is not related to service.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was not related to his active service, and the Board found that he did not have a preexisting condition.