Hearing loss Board decisions

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus are at least as likely as not related to his military service, including noise exposure during active duty.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and depression as secondary to bilateral hearing loss, finding that there was no legal basis for a grant of service connection.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for nephropathy was denied as there is no current diagnosis of the condition.,For his bilateral hearing loss prior to July 24, 2007, a compensable rating was not granted due to the severity of his hearing loss.

The Veteran's tinnitus was found to have onset in service and is granted service connection. The Board also finds that the Veteran has other disabilities, including bilateral knee, hand, and back disorders, which are not related to his military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are due to in-service exposure to hazardous noise levels during combat service, and grants service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to the RO for scheduling a Travel Board hearing. The rating for PTSD has been increased, but the issues of ratings for bilateral hearing loss and service connection for a skin disorder remain under review.

The Veteran's claims for an earlier effective date and service connection were denied. The Board found that the earliest evidence of a claim was January 12, 2009, which is when the grant of service connection for status post right hip arthroplasty was granted.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss, including bilateral sensorineural hearing loss and right ear conductive hearing loss, was not incurred in or aggravated by his active duty military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right ear hearing loss was aggravated by service, and his left ear hearing loss is presumed to have been incurred in service. Both conditions are now granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current tinnitus is related to his active service, and thus grants service connection for tinnitus.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current hearing loss disability is related to his military service, and thus grants service connection for hearing loss.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for bilateral hearing loss was withdrawn. The Board found no left index finger disability and denied the claim for an increased rating for residuals of a left first metacarpophalangeal joint (thumb) fusion, as there is no evidence of such a condition.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are etiologically related to his in-service noise exposure, and thus service connection is granted for both conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of PTSD. The VA examiner found no evidence of any skin rash or other skin disability on physical examination and concluded that it is less likely as not related to service. A new VA audiological examination is needed to determine whether the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability was caused by or due to his service.

The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for service-connected bilateral hearing loss was denied by the Board. The VA audiometric evaluations showed that the Veteran had mild to severe hearing loss in both ears, but his speech recognition scores were above 90%, which resulted in noncompensable ratings under the applicable criteria.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for left ear hearing loss disability and tinnitus, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to military service.

The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for PTSD due to new and material evidence. The claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, bilateral hearing loss, and residuals of a spontaneous pneumothorax are pending. The claim for a compensable rating for residuals of a spontaneous pneumothorax is denied.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), tinnitus, right olecranon bursitis, right upper arm scar, and bilateral hearing loss, are insufficient to warrant a TDIU rating. The case is being remanded for additional development of records and an examination.

The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability and granted it, finding that there is an approximate balance of positive and negative evidence to support a link between the Veteran's noise exposure in service and his current bilateral hearing loss. The issue of service connection for Meniere's syndrome was withdrawn by the Veteran's representative.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for a Travel Board hearing. His claims include service connection for Meniere's disease, increased ratings for hearing loss and tinnitus, and TDIU.