Hearing loss Board decisions

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability does not warrant a compensable evaluation, as his audiometric test results have consistently shown Level I hearing acuity in both ears.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to the agency of original jurisdiction for rescheduling a Board video-conference hearing due to his inability to appear at the scheduled date.

The Veteran's claim for ischemic heart disease was denied as there is no current disability and the VA examiner found that he does not have ischemic heart disease.,VA has scheduled the Veteran for a DRO hearing to address his claims of bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and knee conditions do not warrant a rating in excess of the currently assigned 10 percent evaluations.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is related to his service, specifically during ACDUTRA. Service connection for this condition is granted.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for headaches and granted it, finding that new evidence supports a finding of aggravation beyond the natural progression of his preexisting condition.,Service connection was also granted for bilateral sensorineural hearing loss, but the rating assigned remains pending as there is insufficient information to determine an appropriate disability rating.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for Meniere's disease has been reopened. The decision to reduce the evaluation of hearing loss from 20 percent to 10 percent was denied, as well as the claims for increased ratings.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there was no evidence of continuity of symptomatology since service and concluding that his current conditions are not related to service.

The Board has determined that further development is necessary before the claims can be decided, including obtaining additional VA and private treatment records, as well as opinions regarding the nature and etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss, hypertension, renal condition, and service connection.

The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss is being remanded due to missing VA medical records.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is manifested by no more than Level I hearing impairment in the right ear and Level VII hearing impairment in the left ear, warranting a noncompensable rating. The criteria for an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss are not met.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is not causally or etiologically related to his period of active service. The evidence does not show that current hearing loss was caused by or a result of an in-service event.

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

The Board found that the Veteran's hearing loss did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating, as his audiometric results consistently showed Level I or II hearing in both ears. The claim was denied.

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

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's symptoms are related to his active duty. However, service connection for bilateral hearing loss was denied as there is no evidence of a chronic disability within one year of separation from service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings were denied. The Board found no evidence of current hearing loss disability in either ear, thus denying the claim for bilateral hearing loss. For PTSD, the Board noted that symptoms prior to January 16, 2014 did not meet criteria for a higher rating, but from that date forward they only met criteria for a reduced reliability and productivity impairment. The Veteran's lumbosacral strain was found to have been productive of mild right lower extremity radiculopathy at times, but no more than moderately severe left lower extremity radiculopathy since January 29, 2014.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss, rated as noncompensable since July 30, 2007, was increased to a 10% rating effective November 14, 2014.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional development and examination, including a VA medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus disorders.

The Veteran's service connection claim for bilateral hearing loss is granted as his current hearing loss disability manifested in service and persisted.