Hearing loss Board decisions

The Board has remanded the case due to inconclusive evidence and the need for further development, including a VA examination.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was not incurred in or aggravated by service, and may not be presumed to have been incurred or aggravated therein.

The Board granted the Veteran's petition to reopen a previously denied claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and remanded it for further development. The case is now being returned to the Board.

The Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to July 23, 2009, for a 40 percent rating for bilateral hearing loss is denied as the increase in disability was not factually ascertainable within one year of the receipt of his claim.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss had manifested by no more than level VIII hearing in the right ear and level VII hearing in the left ear, which did not meet the criteria for an increased disability rating beyond 40 percent.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was not incurred in or aggravated by service, and the Board finds that it is unrelated to active duty service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is causally related to noise exposure during his active duty service and grants the claim of service connection for tinnitus. The issue of service connection for bilateral hearing loss remains pending.

The Board has determined that the evidence received since the last final denial does not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently rated as 10 percent before June 28, 2010 and 0 percent on and after that date. The Board finds the evidence does not support a higher rating for any period.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for a new VA examination and consideration of additional evidence, including private audiograms and treatment records.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to incomplete information and need for clarification of the etiology of the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected bilateral hearing loss disability and its effects on daily activities and occupation.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability is not related to his military service and denied his claim.

The Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability is service-connected, with the decision based on direct service connection due to in-service noise exposure.

The Board finds that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is related to his in-service acoustic trauma and grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including a VA examination to assess the combined effect of his service-connected disabilities on his employability.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss has been characterized by Level I hearing impairment in both ears, warranting a noncompensable disability rating.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus prevent him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation, meeting the criteria for TDIU.

The Board found that the Veteran's current low back disability is not related to service and denied his claim for service connection. The hearing loss issue was remanded as there were insufficient medical opinions regarding its etiology.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss does not meet or approximate the criteria for a compensable disability rating under VA's Schedule for Rating Disabilities.