Hearing loss Board decisions

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left ear hearing loss is related to his active duty service and grants entitlement to service connection.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to missing records and additional examination.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right ear hearing loss is related to noise exposure during active service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has remanded the claims for further development due to inadequate examination and clarification of opinions regarding the Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an increased rating for left ear hearing loss, finding that the available schedular evaluation was adequate and there is not such an exceptional disability picture to warrant an extra-schedular evaluation.

The Veteran's service-connected hearing loss and tinnitus do not render him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have service connection for right ear hearing loss as his current condition is not causally related to noise exposure during active service.,Similarly, the Board found no evidence of a nexus between the Veteran's left ear hearing loss and service. The condition did not manifest within one year after separation from service.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral sensorineural hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether these conditions began during active service or are related to an incident of service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was not incurred during service and is not related to service. The claim for an initial disability rating higher than 50 percent for PTSD remains denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for right ear hearing loss and a neurologic disability of the upper extremities have been denied as there is no current evidence of these conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and informed consent forms related to his surgeries. The case will be readjudicated based on the new evidence.

The Veteran's appeal is denied as there are no compensable ratings for any of the claimed conditions and service connection was not established for any of them.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for sleep apnea, increased ratings for cognitive disorder, depression and anxiety, cerebrovascular accident with right hand tremor, headaches, and bilateral hearing loss have been withdrawn.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are service-connected, with the evidence being at least in equipoise regarding their onset during service.

The Board has granted the Veteran's applications to reopen his claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that new and material evidence has been submitted. The claim for service connection is now pending.

The Board found that the Veteran did not have a current disability of residuals from chronic left ear infections, nor does he have hearing loss as a result of such. The evidence did not support service connection for these conditions.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining verification of the Veteran's dates of active duty and reserve service, providing an examination for his skin disability, and determining whether his hearing loss and tinnitus are related to in-service noise exposure.

The Board found that hepatitis C was not incurred or aggravated in active service and denied the claim. For bilateral hearing loss, the Veteran's preexisting condition did not worsen during service.

The Board found no evidence of a hearing loss disability in service or within one year post-service, and the VA examiner concluded that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is not related to his military noise exposure. The same conclusion was reached for tinnitus.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss did not have its clinical onset in service and is not otherwise related to active duty. The VA audiometric findings prior to separation from service showed normal hearing, and there was no significant shift in hearing levels greater than normal measurement variability during military service.