Hearing loss Board decisions

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is attributable to service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board finds that the appellant's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are directly related to his military service, with no indication of pre-existing conditions or aggravation during service. The evidence is in equipoise regarding whether these conditions were caused by noise exposure during active duty.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was rated at 80 percent effective January 24, 2012. Prior to this date, the disability had been rated as noncompensable.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and a disability manifested by loss of balance or dizziness require additional development, including obtaining medical opinions regarding the etiology of these conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a prostate condition, heart disease (aortic stenosis and atherosclerosis), and stroke are denied as his duties did not place him on or near the base perimeter where herbicides were used. His claim for hearing loss is also denied due to lack of evidence showing it meets the criteria for a compensable rating.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him helpless as to be in need of regular aid and attendance of another person, and the Board grants special monthly compensation based on the need for aid and attendance.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for service connection as the appellant died during the pendency of the appeal.

The Board finds that the Veteran does not have a current disability of bilateral hearing loss for VA purposes and his service connection claim for bilateral hearing loss is denied. The Veteran's serous otitis media with Eustachian tube deformity, myringotomy and polyethylene placement is currently rated as 10 percent disabling.

The Veteran's hearing impairment has not met the criteria for a compensable rating under VA disability evaluation guidelines.

The Board found no evidence of hearing loss or tinnitus in service and determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his military service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development due to incomplete records and an addendum opinion from a VA examiner.

The Veteran's hearing loss has been rated as noncompensable, with the most recent VA examination showing Level I hearing in both ears.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are being remanded due to the need to obtain additional medical records and clarify the onset of his conditions.

The Veteran's initial claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss was granted, and he is currently receiving a 20% disability rating since the effective date of service connection.

The Veteran's appeal was dismissed due to his withdrawal of the claim for a compensable rating for pseudofolliculitis barbae. The Board found that there is no evidence showing bilateral hearing loss or tinnitus were incurred in service, and denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability as new and material evidence had not been submitted.

The Board found that the appellant was not permanently incapable of self-support prior to attaining age 18, and thus denied his claim for DIC benefits based on permanent incapacity for self-support.

The Veteran's claims for service connection of bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, residuals of malaria, and peripheral nerve damage of the lower extremities were granted. The Veteran was also assigned a 20 percent disability rating for his thoracolumbar strain effective September 10, 2013.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for right ear hearing loss was denied as he did not meet the current disability requirement under VA regulations. The Board found that his audiometric test results did not meet the criteria for a current right ear hearing loss disability at any time during the pendency of the claim or otherwise. For the status post left tibia stress fracture with patellofemoral syndrome, the Veteran was granted a 10 percent rating effective January 15, 2010.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus have been denied. The Board is unable to establish a link between the Veteran's current disabilities and her military service, including exposure to noise during service. For the low back disability and loss of teeth issues, further development is needed as there are insufficient records in the file.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus are related to his in-service noise exposure, and thus service connection is granted for these conditions.