Hearing loss Board decisions

The Veteran's appeal is denied as his bilateral hearing loss disability does not meet the criteria for a rating in excess of 10 percent.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus disabilities were not incurred or aggravated by service, as there is no evidence of in-service noise exposure or chronic symptoms within one year post-service. The VA examiners concluded that any current hearing loss and tinnitus are less likely related to his military service.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have a bilateral hearing loss disability or cold weather residuals to the extremities due to any incident of his active duty service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development of his claims file, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and any outstanding private treatment records. The case will be readjudicated to determine if the Veteran is entitled to TDIU on a schedular or extraschedular basis.

The Board has found that additional development is required before the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus are decided. The case is REMANDED to the RO via the Appeals Management Center (AMC), in Washington, DC.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently rated at 20 percent, which is the maximum rating available under VA regulations. The Board found that his current level of disability does not warrant a higher rating.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability is not related to his service, as there was no evidence of a hearing loss disability during service or within one year after discharge. The most probative evidence indicated that the Veteran did not suffer from a hearing loss disability during service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining an updated VA examination and opinion regarding the Veteran's ability to obtain or maintain substantially gainful employment due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability is related to military service, specifically noise exposure during active and reserve component service.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and granted it, finding that new evidence supports a current diagnosis of hearing loss related to military service.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus but denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's current hearing loss did not manifest within one year of discharge from service and there is no medical evidence linking his current hearing loss to in-service noise exposure.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is as likely as not due to in-service exposure to loud noises, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to outstanding records and need for further medical examinations.

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

The Board found no evidence of a hearing loss disability during service and concluded that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is not related to his military noise exposure. The claim for service connection was denied.

The Veteran's initial claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied as there is no evidence of more than a level I hearing impairment throughout the period from July 2010 to the present.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to noise exposure during service, and thus grants service connection for these conditions.

The Board has decided to remand the case for further development, including obtaining Social Security Administration records and providing an addendum medical opinion.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding the relationship between his current disabilities and military noise exposure.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current tinnitus is related to exposure to loud noise in service. The issue of hearing loss remains pending and will be remanded for further development.