Hearing loss Board decisions

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus and granted a finding that it is related to his military service. The hearing loss rating remains unchanged.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for sinusitis/rhinitis and tinnitus, and an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss. The decision also dismissed the appeal on the issue of sinusitis/rhinitis.

The Veteran's appeal seeking service connection for bilateral hearing loss was withdrawn. The Board has determined that the evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether the Veteran's tinnitus is related to his service, and thus grants service connection for tinnitus.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, render him unable to secure and maintain substantially gainful employment.

The Board has granted service connection for emphysema. The Veteran's claim of a compensable initial disability rating for bilateral hearing loss prior to January 20, 2012 is denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current hearing loss disability for VA purposes and his tinnitus is not related to service. Therefore, both claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are denied.

The Board has determined that additional evidence is needed to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claims, including an opinion regarding whether his right ear hearing loss disability may be caused or aggravated by his service-connected left ear hearing loss disability.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional medical records and to schedule him for VA examinations to assess the severity of his service-connected bilateral hearing loss and a lumbar spine disorder. The claims will be readjudicated after these actions.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to obtain and retain substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further examination and development of his hearing loss claim.

The Board has decided that additional development is needed to determine the Veteran's service connection claims, including obtaining records from military treatment facilities and clarifying her status as a dependent. The case will be returned for further action.

The Veteran's tinnitus had its onset during active military service and the Board found in favor of granting service connection for tinnitus. The case is being remanded to further clarify the nature and etiology of the Veteran's diagnosed bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings, initial compensable rating, and service connection were denied. The Board found that new and material evidence had not been submitted to reopen the hypertension and PTSD claims.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral sensorineural hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to service, and therefore denied his claims for service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a right ear hearing loss disability for VA purposes and therefore, service connection cannot be granted. The low back disability claim is remanded to provide an SOC.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current traumatic brain injury or residuals thereof, and thus service connection for this condition is denied. The issue of entitlement to an initial compensable evaluation for right ear hearing loss remains pending as the RO has issued a decision but has yet to provide a Statement of the Case (SOC). The claim for service connection for left ear hearing loss requires additional clarification from the VA examiner regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's current left ear hearing loss.

The Veteran's claim for bilateral hearing loss was denied as there is no evidence of current disability meeting VA standards.,Service connection granted for left ear hearing loss, with the condition etiologically related to an injury in service.,Service connection not established for a low back condition due to lack of chronic disability manifestation or evidence linking it to service.,Muscle contractions in the right hand were not shown to be related to service or service-connected conditions.,Muscle contractions in the left hand were also not shown to be related to service or service-connected conditions.,Service connection for an undiagnosed illness (including gastrointestinal disorder, bronchitis, and fatigue) was denied as there is no evidence of a qualifying chronic disability.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions are being remanded due to the need for additional development and examination.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and restoration of a rating were granted. The hearing loss disability remains noncompensably disabling, the hepatitis C is rated as noncompensably disabling with intermittent fatigue and arthralgia, and the degenerative spondylosis of L5 with spondylolisthesis of L5-S1 has been restored to 40 percent.

The Veteran's claims of entitlement to reopen his previously denied service connection claims have been granted. The issues are now on the merits.,Service connection for a sleep disorder, to include poor concentration and memory loss, is moot as the Veteran has since been awarded a 100 percent schedular rating for PTSD.