Hearing loss Board decisions

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there is no evidence to support a link between these conditions and his military service.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn, and the case is dismissed.

The Board denied service connection for tinnitus, left ear hearing loss, right ear hearing loss, and carpal tunnel syndrome of the right hand. The Veteran's current conditions were not shown to be related to his military service.

The Board has granted service connection for osteoarthritis of the right and left knee, hearing loss, and tinnitus. High cholesterol and hypertension are not considered disabilities under VA law.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, particularly his PTSD, tinnitus and headaches, prevent him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss and determined that there is new and material evidence. The Board also found that his pre-existing hearing loss was aggravated by his military service, but concluded that he did not meet the criteria for service connection due to lack of a permanent worsening.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss has been manifested by no worse than Level I hearing impairment in both ears, resulting in a noncompensable disability rating. The Board finds that the criteria for an initial compensable rating have not been met.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions, including arteriosclerotic coronary artery disease s/p stent placement, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), diabetes mellitus, type II, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, left lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, and right lower extremity peripheral neuropathy, render him unable to secure or maintain substantially gainful employment.

The Board finds that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his in-service noise exposure, granting service connection for these conditions.,Service connection is granted for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus as they are found to be directly related to the Veteran's military service.

The Board finds that the Veteran does not have a current hearing loss disability or tinnitus that is related to his military service. The evidence shows normal hearing upon entrance and separation from service, and there is no medical opinion linking any current hearing loss or tinnitus to service.

The Veteran's hypertension and hearing loss were not shown to be related to his military service. The Board found that the preponderance of evidence is against these claims.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability was rated as noncompensable from November 8, 2010 through November 27, 2014 and at 10% since November 28, 2014. The Board found the evidence did not meet criteria for an increased rating.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for the issue of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss prior to a decision being made by the Board.

The Veteran is unable to secure and maintain substantially gainful employment due solely to the effects of his service-connected disabilities, specifically bilateral hearing loss, PTSD, and tinea versicolor. As a result, he has been granted a TDIU.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is being remanded for a VA examination to assess his ability to secure and maintain employment due to his service-connected disabilities, including ischemic heart disease status post bypass graft, tinnitus, and hearing loss.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain additional medical records and to provide the Veteran with a VA examination to determine if his hearing loss and tinnitus are related to service.

The Veteran's tinnitus was found to have manifested within one year of military service and has continued intermittently since then, meeting the criteria for presumptive service connection. Service connection is granted for tinnitus.

The Board denied reopening the claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and denied entitlement to service connection for tinnitus. The Veteran's request to reopen his claim was not supported by new and material evidence.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are found to be related to his in-service noise exposure.,Service connection is granted for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and allergy/breathing disabilities were not incurred in service, and are not otherwise related to service.