Hearing loss Board decisions

The Veteran is service-connected with several conditions, including DDD of the lumbosacral spine. The care provided on September 10, 2011, was for an adjudicated service-connected disability and in a medical emergency where delay would have been hazardous to life or health. VA facilities were not feasibly available at the time.

The Board has remanded the case due to non-compliance with prior directives and a need for further evidentiary development, including an examination by a VA audiologist.

The Board has decided to remand the case for additional development, including obtaining missing service records and arranging for a VA examination.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred or aggravated by service. The Board denied service connection for these conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for severance of service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II and for service connection for left ear hearing loss. The claim to reopen a claim for service connection for tinnitus was also denied.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss was granted, with a non-compensable (0%) disability rating effective July 27, 2008.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, arteriosclerotic heart disease, type 2 diabetes mellitus, tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, peripheral neuropathy of the right upper extremity, left upper extremity, right lower extremity, and left lower extremity, are found to be sufficient to preclude him from engaging in gainful employment. As a result, TDIU is granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are etiologically related to his active service, thus granting service connection for both conditions.

The Veteran's initial claim for an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied as his disability did not warrant a higher evaluation.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining Social Security Administration records and scheduling a video conference hearing.

The Veteran's PTSD is rated as 70 percent disabling, but the evidence does not show total social and occupational impairment. The Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus are inextricably intertwined with his PTSD, so both conditions must be remanded for further development.

The Veteran's service-connected tinea versicolor is rated at a noncompensable (0%) level. Service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus has been granted.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there is no evidence linking these conditions to his military service. The claim for a back condition was remanded due to new medical evidence.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, paranoid schizophrenia with psychosis, and arthritis was denied. The Board found that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of bilateral hearing loss meeting VA compensation criteria.

The Board has determined that further development is needed to determine if the Veteran's current left ear hearing loss is related to his in-service noise exposure, and whether it was caused by a chronic condition that persisted after service. The case will be remanded for an addendum opinion.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that new evidence supports a causal relationship to active duty. Service connection is now granted.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed for the Veteran's claims, including obtaining medical opinions and treatment records. The appeal will be remanded to the AOJ for these actions.

The Veteran is service connected for multiple disabilities, including an acquired psychiatric disorder and cold injury residuals. The Board finds that these conditions render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment due to his service-connected disabilities, thus granting a TDIU.

The appeal has been withdrawn by the appellant through his authorized representative.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss does not warrant an evaluation in excess of 40 percent, as his current test results do not meet the criteria for such a rating. The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have resulted in unemployability due to his hearing impairment.