Hearing loss Board decisions

The Veteran's current psychiatric disability, diagnosed as anxiety, is reasonably shown to be related to service and to his service-connected pleurisy. Service connection for psychiatric disability has been granted.

The Veteran's claim for service connection of skin disability has been reopened. The Board granted a 70 percent rating for PTSD, effective July 25, 2007. Other issues remain pending and are remanded.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was rated as noncompensable prior to January 20, 2010 and subsequently rated at 30 percent from that date onwards. The appeal is denied.

The Board finds that the Veteran does not have a current bilateral hearing loss disability or tinnitus for VA purposes and thus cannot establish service connection. The Veteran's complaints of tinnitus are not linked to his military service.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining medical opinions regarding the Veteran's hearing loss, peripheral neuropathy of the upper extremities, and right leg disorder. The issues include service connection for these conditions.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has been noncompensably disabling throughout the entire rating period on appeal, and thus denied his claim for an initial compensable rating.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are as likely as not the result of noise exposure during his military service, and the Board has granted these claims.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal in a November 2013 statement, which the Board received prior to making a decision.

The Veteran's hearing loss and vision loss are not service-connected as they were either pre-dated service or do not have a link to in-service events.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and examination, including VA examinations to determine if the Veteran's current hearing loss, tinnitus, and right foot injury are related to his military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been denied due to a lack of new and material evidence. The case is being remanded for further action.

The Board has determined that additional development is necessary before a decision can be made on the claims for service connection for PTSD, hypertension, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus. Specifically, new examinations are required to address whether the Veteran's current conditions are related to his military service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further examination and opinion regarding his ability to secure and follow substantially gainful employment due to service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's TDIU claim is granted, as his service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation. The left ear hearing loss disability and cirrhosis of the liver are rated at noncompensable levels.

The Board finds that the preponderance of evidence is against the Veteran's claims for service connection for left ear hearing loss, tinnitus, and vertigo. The VA audiologist should provide an opinion regarding the significance of threshold shifts between entrance and separation in the Veteran's case.

The Veteran's appeal for an initial compensable evaluation for left ear hearing loss has been withdrawn, resulting in the dismissal of the case.

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss is currently rated as noncompensable (0%) due to the severity of his condition not warranting a higher evaluation.

The Board found that the Veteran's right ear hearing loss existed prior to service and was not aggravated by service, thus denying his claim for service connection.

The Board found that the Veteran's tinnitus is related to in-service acoustic trauma and granted service connection. The hearing loss issue remains pending as further examination and clarification are needed.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and an increased rating for residuals of hepatitis A, finding that there was no evidence to support a higher initial rating or service connection.