Hearing loss Board decisions

The Board found that the Veteran's obstructive sleep apnea was not incurred in or aggravated by service and is not proximately due to or aggravated by his service-connected tinnitus.,The Board also found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss did not manifest during service, is not related to a disease or injury of service origin, and may not be presumed to be related to service.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims of service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus, as new and material evidence has been received. The underlying issues of service connection will be addressed in a separate remand.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have left ear hearing loss or tinnitus that is related to his military service and denied both claims.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not prevent him from securing and maintaining substantially gainful employment prior to January 1, 2007.

The Veteran's renal insufficiency, bilateral hearing loss disability, and tinnitus are all found to be related to service. The claim for service connection is granted.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there was no evidence of a current disability or chronic symptoms in service. The Board also found that the Veteran did not have a right ear hearing loss disability for VA purposes.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional records, specifically the December 2008 audiological evaluation results from the Birmingham VA Medical Center.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA and non-VA treatment records, and providing the appellant with a VA audiological examination to determine the nature and etiology of his right ear hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's symptoms have been present since service. Service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied as there is no current disability.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to service, and therefore denied both claims.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional medical records and for a VA examination to determine if he requires the aid and attendance of another person due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a new VA examination to assess the current severity of his tinnitus and hearing loss.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss and finds that it is related to his military noise exposure. Service connection is granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are service-connected as they are related to noise exposure during military service.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is rated at 20 percent since August 1, 2011. Prior to that date, the disability was not compensable.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including cold injury residuals of the bilateral upper and lower extremities, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus, have rendered him unemployable due to his physical limitations.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss is currently rated as noncompensable, with Level I hearing in both ears. The Board finds that the criteria are not met for a compensable initial rating.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is found to be directly related to his military service, specifically the noise exposure during combat operations. The claim for service connection is granted.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is rated at 20 percent since August 1, 2011. Prior to that date, the disability was not compensable.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and development of his claims for increased hearing loss rating and service connection for kidney cancer.