Hearing loss Board decisions

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development due to incomplete records and need for further medical opinions regarding his eye disorder and bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to incomplete records, including a lack of audiograms from his Army National Guard service. The Veteran is also asked to provide authorization for VA to obtain any additional private treatment records related to his claimed conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right ear hearing loss disability was not incurred or aggravated by active service, as it was noted at entry and there is no evidence of aggravation during service. The claim for service connection is therefore denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is at least as likely to have had its onset during active duty, and service connection for this condition is granted. The claim for an acquired psychiatric disorder was not supported by the evidence of record.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus did not have their onset during service or within one year of separation, nor are they related to his military service. The claims for service connection for these conditions are therefore denied.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for service connection for right ear hearing loss, left ear hearing loss, depression, right shoulder disorder, lumbar spine disorder, cervical spine disorder, and chronic headaches. These conditions are presumed to be related to his active duty in the Southwest Asia Theater of Operations during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining addendum opinions from private treating physicians and a VA examiner. The Veteran's claims will be reconsidered based on the additional evidence.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current disability of right ear hearing loss, and thus cannot establish service connection for this condition.

The Board has granted service connection for left ear hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's current condition is at least as likely as not related to his active service. The right ear hearing loss claim was denied due to lack of evidence showing a relationship between the current condition and service.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disorder is found to be related to his in-service exposure to loud noise, and the claim for service connection is granted.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's reported in-service noise exposure is sufficient to establish a link between his current tinnitus and service. Service connection for bilateral hearing loss was denied as there is no evidence of hearing loss during or within one year after service.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have current bilateral hearing loss disability as defined by VA, and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss disability has been rated as noncompensable (0%) prior to March 3, 2011. The evidence does not support a higher rating during this period.

The Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus were not shown to be related to service, as there is no evidence of symptoms during or immediately following service. The Board finds that the current conditions are not attributable to service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional medical records, including those from his period of active service in June 2007 to June 2008. The VA will also schedule the Veteran for an updated audiogram and a VA examination to assess the nature and etiology of his hearing loss and perforation of the tympanic membrane of the left ear.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hand scars, finding that the Veteran's current scars are attributable to his in-service burn and laceration injuries. The issue of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss is remanded due to a lack of recent audiometric testing.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional medical records and to schedule him for a VA examination to evaluate the severity of his service-connected bilateral hearing loss and chronic vestibulopathy, as well as whether these disabilities render him unemployable. The case will be readjudicated after this additional development.

The Veteran's claimed bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not shown to be related to his military service, and the Board denied these claims based on a finding that they are not presumed to have been incurred in service.

The Board has granted restoration of service connection for left ear hearing loss, but denied the claim for right ear hearing loss.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss are likely related to his military service, thus granting his claims for service connection.