Hearing loss Board decisions

The Veteran's PTSD is rated at 50 percent, effective August 2010. His bilateral hearing loss is rated as noncompensable. The Veteran's TDIU claim was not addressed due to lack of appeal.

The Board has remanded the claims due to the Veteran's failure to appear for a scheduled hearing. The claims will be returned to the AOJ for further action.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current left ear hearing loss and tinnitus are related to service, while his right ear hearing loss is not. The decision grants service connection for left ear hearing loss and tinnitus, but denies service connection for right ear hearing loss.

The Board has determined that it is as likely as not that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to service, including exposure to noise during active duty in Vietnam. As such, the claim for service connection for these conditions is granted.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a Board hearing. The issues of entitlement to higher ratings for posttraumatic stress disorder and service connection for bilateral hearing loss are still pending.

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

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain additional medical evidence and for further examination, as the current VA audiology examinations did not fully consider the Veteran's contentions regarding his hearing loss.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. The Veteran's assertions, along with positive opinions from VA examiners, support a finding that his hearing loss and tinnitus are related to active service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his military service, with the most significant exposure occurring during his time in Vietnam. Service connection is granted for these conditions.

The appeal is being remanded due to the need for a videoconference hearing. The Veteran's claims for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss are still pending.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral sensorineural hearing loss is currently rated as noncompensable, and the Board finds that no higher rating is warranted based on the current evidence of record.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining missing service treatment records and arranging for new VA examinations to address the claims of hearing loss, tinnitus, and migraine headaches.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were granted effective August 21, 2012. The Board found no earlier pending formal or informal claim existed prior to this date.

The Veteran's tinnitus was incurred in service, and the Board finds that service connection for tinnitus is granted. The issue of bilateral hearing loss is remanded due to inadequate medical opinions regarding its etiology.

The Board has remanded the case for a VA examination to determine the current severity of the Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss and for referral to the Director of Compensation Service or Undersecretary for Benefits for extraschedular consideration.

The Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability did not have its onset during active service, was not caused by active service, and did not manifest within one year of separation from active service. As such, the claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied.

The Veteran's tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss are found to be related to his period of active service.,The Veteran has hypertension that began in April 2005, which is within the presumptive period for hypertension due to military service.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is not related to service and may not be presumed to have been incurred or aggravated in service. As a result, his claim for service connection was denied.

For the entire increased rating period, audiometric and speech recognition testing has revealed at worst Level II hearing acuity in both ears. The Veteran is not entitled to a compensable disability rating for bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's degenerative joint disease of the left shoulder and cervical spine have been rated based on their current manifestations, with no additional ratings granted.,Service connection has not been established for fatigue and insomnia or bilateral hearing loss.