Hearing loss Board decisions

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and hypertension were denied, while his claim for an initial rating greater than 30 percent prior to May 29, 2007, for PTSD was also denied. The Board found that the Veteran did not have current disabilities related to these conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability is related to his active service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have current hearing loss or tinnitus disabilities as defined by VA regulations, and thus denied service connection for these conditions.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is not related to service and denied his claims for service connection.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability has exhibited no worse than Level II hearing in the right ear and Level IV hearing in the left ear for the entire initial rating period on appeal, thus not meeting the criteria for a higher (compensable) initial disability rating.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for bilateral hearing loss has been dismissed due to his death.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss disability, pseudofolliculitis barbae, and kidney disability (residuals of kidney stones) have been denied as there is no current evidence of these conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current disabilities are causally related to noise exposure during active service.

The Veteran's bilateral sensorineural hearing loss and tinnitus are found to have onset during service, warranting service connection. For the period beginning May 29, 2009, his varicose veins of the bilateral lower extremities meet the criteria for a 40 percent rating.

The Veteran's right knee disorder was not incurred in or aggravated by active service.,Service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus is pending as the evidence is insufficient to determine their etiology.

The Board finds that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus disabilities are at least as likely as not related to his in-service noise exposure, resulting in a grant of service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus is granted, with the Board finding that his current conditions are related to in-service noise exposure.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his service, as there is no evidence of a chronic disease during service or within one year post-service. The VA examiners have concluded that any current hearing loss and tinnitus are less likely due to noise exposure in service.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss was received on March 24, 2011. The effective date for the 20% rating is set to this date.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently rated as non-compensable, with the most recent evaluations showing a Level II hearing impairment in both ears.

The Board denied a compensable disability rating for service-connected bilateral hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's hearing acuity did not meet or approximate the criteria for any higher evaluation under VA's rating schedule.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining his VA treatment records and scheduling him for a VA audio examination.

The Veteran's service connection claim for bilateral hearing loss is granted as the Board finds that his current hearing loss disability is related to his active duty, including ROTC training.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for right ear hearing loss and finds that new evidence received since the last final denial is sufficient to reopen the claim. The examiner opined that the Veteran's right ear hearing loss was less likely caused by noise exposure during service, but more likely related to his service-connected impaired hearing.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, stomach disorder, respiratory disorder, fatigue, colon cancer, and hemorrhoids, have been denied as there is no evidence of current disabilities or a link to service. The Board finds that the Veteran does not meet the criteria for service connection in any of these cases.