Hearing loss Board decisions

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current disabilities are related to his in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and providing medical opinions regarding his claims.

The Board has denied service connection for a neck condition and granted service connection for right ear hearing loss disability.,Service connection is granted for the Veteran's right ear hearing loss disability, but his claim of service connection for a neck condition remains pending.

The Board found that the Veteran's hearing loss disability did not present an exceptional or unusual disability picture at any time during the course of the appeal, and thus a compensable rating is not warranted.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have nerve damage of the right hand related to military service and that any current hearing loss is not attributable to military service.

The Veteran's appeal regarding his increased rating for bilateral hearing loss is being remanded due to the need for further development of VA records and audiometric evaluations.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of in-service hearing loss or any other disability, and thus denied these claims.

The Veteran's currently-diagnosed bilateral hearing loss is shown to have begun in or had its onset during military service, and the Board finds that service connection for this condition is warranted.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the claim of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is related to his in-service acoustic trauma, and the Board finds that this raises a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining service personnel records and medical records from his in-service treatment at Great Lakes Naval Hospital. A VA examination will be conducted to determine the nature and etiology of any left thumb disorders, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and scar of the left thumb.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, low back disability, and bilateral knee disability. The evidence did not support a finding of direct service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for chronic constipation with redundant colon, hemorrhoids, and bilateral hearing loss were denied. The current evaluations are noncompensable.

The claims for service connection for a nervous condition/depression and left ankle injury were not granted, but the claim for bilateral hearing loss was reopened and granted with a 10% rating.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied as his hearing impairment did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and development of records. The appeal is related to presumptive exposure to herbicides, which may affect his diabetes claim.

The Veteran's initial claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss was granted, but the assigned noncompensable rating has not been updated to reflect his current condition as of November 7, 2013. The Veteran is currently rated at 10% for bilateral hearing loss effective from November 7, 2013.

The Board found that the Veteran's cause of death was not related to his service-connected disabilities, and denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the Veteran's death.

The Board has ordered additional development to verify the Veteran's service dates and obtain his service treatment records. The claims for reopening of bilateral hearing loss and hypothyroidism will be remanded.

The Veteran's tinnitus is currently rated at 10 percent, the maximum allowed under DC 6260.,Right ear hearing loss does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating based on audiometric testing results and VA examination findings.,Bilateral plantar fasciitis is currently rated at 10 percent. The Veteran's disability is characterized by severe symptoms including pain, swelling, and characteristic callosities.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn due to his request for the withdrawal of his claims regarding hypertension, bilateral hearing loss, and the reopening of his claim for coronary artery disease.