Hearing loss Board decisions

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and chronic fatigue syndrome (undiagnosed), finding no evidence of a current disability related to active service or any incident of service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and a higher rating for his back disability were denied. The appeal is not about service connection at all.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus claims must be remanded for further development, including obtaining additional medical opinions.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination to determine if his bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to service exposure. The current evidence does not support a finding of service connection.

The Veteran's hearing loss disability has been manifested by Level I impairment in the right ear and Level XI impairment in the left ear throughout the appeal period, which corresponds to a 10 percent rating. The criteria for a higher rating are not met.

The Board found that the Veteran's hearing loss was not incurred in or aggravated by active service and denied his claim.

The Veteran's appeal for an initial compensable evaluation for bilateral hearing loss prior to April 30, 2014, and in excess of 10 percent thereafter has been withdrawn. The remaining claims for increased or separate evaluations for residuals of lung cancer are remanded for further development.

The Veteran's claims for initial compensable ratings for bilateral hearing loss, burn scars of the right and left hands, service connection for pulmonary sarcoidosis, and service connection for enlarged prostate were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support higher disability ratings.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to service, as his pre-existing hearing loss was less likely than not aggravated by service. The claim for bilateral hearing loss is denied.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss has been rated as noncompensable throughout the appeal period. The VA and private audiometric evaluations have consistently shown that his hearing impairment is at Level I in both ears, resulting in a noncompensable disability rating.

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss has not worsened to a level that warrants an increased rating. The most recent VA examination did not show any significant improvement in his hearing acuity or speech recognition ability.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss disability is currently rated as noncompensable under the applicable rating criteria and does not present such an exceptional or unusual disability picture with related factors as to render impractical the application of the regular schedular standards.

The Board has determined that there is no evidence of sensorineural hearing loss in the left ear, and thus service connection for this condition cannot be granted.

The Board has granted service connection for a bilateral hearing loss disability, finding that it is as likely as not due to the Veteran's exposure to hazardous noise levels during his active duty.

The Board has determined that the appeal of the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and acoustic neuroma is remanded due to inadequate compliance with prior remand instructions. The case will be returned to the AOJ for further development.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was incurred during his active service and the Board granted service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining updated treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to assess the current severity of his bilateral hearing loss disability. Additionally, another VA examination will be scheduled to determine if the Veteran's currently diagnosed lumbosacral strain is etiologically related to his active duty service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hearing loss disability and tinnitus were not incurred or aggravated by service, as there is no evidence of in-service noise exposure leading to current disabilities. The VA examiners provided negative nexus opinions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left ear hearing loss was not incurred or aggravated in service and may not be presumed to have been incurred in or aggravated by service. The claim for service connection is therefore denied.

The Board has determined that another remand is necessary due to inadequate opinions regarding the etiology of the Veteran's hearing loss and whether his tinnitus caused or aggravated his hearing loss.