Hearing loss Board decisions

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to missing service treatment records and the need for additional examinations to determine the etiology of his claimed disabilities.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, right shoulder disability, neck disability, upper back disability, tinnitus, and PTSD were denied. The effective dates for the grants of service connection for PTSD and low back disability are not earlier than May 6, 2009, and September 22, 2009 respectively.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss. Resolving all reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran, the Board finds that his bilateral hearing loss is at least as likely as not related to his service-connected diabetes mellitus.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a videoconference hearing. The claims will be reconsidered after the additional development.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is related to his military service and granted service connection for this condition. The claim of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss remains pending as it was not addressed in the decision.

The Veteran's tinnitus is found to be related to his active service, and the claim for service connection for this condition is granted. The claim for bilateral hearing loss remains pending as a VA examination is needed.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are at least as likely as not related to his military service, including exposure to noise from weaponry fire. As such, the appeal for service connection is granted.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been received to reopen the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, as the additional evidence does not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current disabilities are related to his in-service noise exposure. The claim of an increased rating for prostate cancer residuals is remanded due to lack of recent medical records.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus was incurred in service and granted service connection for this condition. The hearing loss disability is also considered to have been incurred during service.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus render him unable to obtain or retain substantially gainful employment, meeting the criteria for a total disability rating on the basis of individual unemployability.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for arthritis of the right knee, bilateral foot disorder, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus were denied. The Board found no evidence of a current disability or in-service injury that could be linked to these conditions.

The Board has remanded the claim for an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss due to a lack of recent examination, and the Veteran's representative indicated that his condition had worsened since the last examination in November 2011.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeals for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD, depression, and anxiety, and for bilateral hearing loss. The Board does not have further jurisdiction over these issues.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are at least as likely as not caused by his in-service noise exposure, thus granting service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's initial claim for a higher rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied as his audiometric test results did not meet the criteria for an increased rating.

The Veteran's service connection for PTSD and associated benefits were granted effective July 21, 2001.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current hearing loss and tinnitus do not relate to service, as there is no evidence of in-service noise exposure or any chronic symptoms during service. The VA examiner concluded that the Veteran's hearing problems are not related to his military service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for post operative residuals of left medial meniscectomy and hearing loss were denied as the Veteran failed to report for necessary examinations.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has been evaluated as noncompensable since the grant of service connection. The VA audiologists have consistently found that his hearing acuity does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.