Hearing loss Board decisions

The Board found that the Veteran's preexisting back disorder did not undergo an increase in severity during active duty service and denied his claim for service connection for aggravation of a preexisting back disorder. The case is remanded to determine the current level of PTSD severity and whether bilateral hearing loss is related to service.

The Board has remanded the case due to missing VA medical records and will conduct further development before deciding on the claim.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the claim of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability. The reopened claim will be addressed in a separate decision.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has been rated at a 40 percent since January 1, 2013.

The Veteran's hearing loss is found to be related to his active military service, and the Board grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that further development is needed to determine the etiology of the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, as well as whether these conditions are related to service. The claims will be remanded for a VA medical opinion.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss, service connection for hypertension, and service connection for obstructive sleep apnea were all denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a compensable rating for hearing loss or service connection for either hypertension or obstructive sleep apnea.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including new VA examinations to determine the etiology and extent of his bilateral hearing loss and left knee disorder.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's low back disorder had its onset in service and granted service connection for this condition. The other issues of service connection are addressed as well.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his military service, thus granting service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's appeals were dismissed due to the death of the appellant.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was rated as 10 percent disabling since February 5, 2015.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further evaluation of his bilateral hearing loss, as the most recent VA audiology examination does not include valid puretone test results necessary to rate the claim.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss did not have its clinical onset in service and is not otherwise related to active duty. As a result, the claim for service connection was denied.

The Veteran's claim for an increased initial rating for bilateral hearing loss is denied as his current disability level does not warrant a higher evaluation under the applicable VA rating criteria.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for a higher disability rating for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss, finding that the evidence did not support a rating in excess of 40 percent.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss does not present a disability picture so exceptional or unusual as to render impractical the application of the schedular rating standards, and thus, the initial 20 percent disability rating remains unchanged.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions did not manifest during service or within one year of separation from active duty. The VA examinations indicated no significant threshold shifts in either ear.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is not related to his military service, and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss was rated at a 10% disability rating since March 11, 2002.