Hearing loss Board decisions

The Board has ordered a new VA examination to determine if the Veteran's right ear hearing loss increased during service and, if so, whether it was due to natural progression.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to address the etiology of her bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining employment records from OPM and updated VA treatment records. The hearing loss claim will also be evaluated with a new VA audiology examination.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including bilateral hearing loss, headaches, sleep apnea, carpal tunnel syndromes, hemiplegia, polyneuropathy, and cerebrovascular disease. The decision is based on a lack of current disability as defined by VA standards.

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

The Veteran's initial claim for a compensable rating for service-connected bilateral hearing loss was denied. The Board found that the Veteran's pure tone thresholds and speech discrimination percentages corresponded to auditory acuity levels of I in both ears, resulting in a noncompensable rating.

The Veteran's hearing impairment has been rated as Level I in both ears, resulting in a noncompensable rating for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board finds that the evidence is in equipoise, and therefore grants service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability as it is etiologically related to acoustic trauma sustained in active service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss does not warrant a compensable evaluation, as it is currently rated at Level II in each ear.

The Board has recharacterized the issues as entitlement to service connection for right ear hearing loss and left ear hearing loss. The appellant does not have a current left ear hearing loss disability for VA compensation purposes, and therefore, her claim of service connection for left ear hearing loss is denied.

The Board has found that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability is related to noise exposure during his military service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of his bilateral hearing loss. The case will be returned to the Board after this additional development.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for Type II diabetes mellitus, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus. The claims are REMANDED to obtain a VA examination to address whether these conditions arose in service or are otherwise related to service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is etiologically related to service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed, including service verification and obtaining complete service and personnel records. The Veteran's claims for psychiatric disorder, bilateral hearing loss, and gastrointestinal disorder are being remanded to the AOJ.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hearing loss did not manifest to a degree of ten percent or more within one year after separation from service, and therefore does not meet the criteria for presumptive service connection. The low back disability was not shown to be related to service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is at least as likely as not related to his service, including in-service acoustic trauma and chronic exposure to loud noises during his Vietnam deployment. As such, the claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is granted.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and a separate compensable evaluation for right knee subluxation. The Veteran's chondromalacia of the right knee is currently rated at 10 percent, which is the maximum schedular rating available under VA regulations.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need to obtain additional records from the Veteran's employer at the VAMC in Erie, Pennsylvania. The claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus will be reconsidered based on the new evidence.

The Veteran does not have a current hearing loss disability, and therefore, his claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied.