Hearing loss Board decisions

The Board found that the Veteran's current left ear hearing loss did not have its clinical onset in service and is not otherwise related to active duty. A sensorineural hearing loss was not exhibited within the first post-service year.

The Board has remanded the appeal due to a failure to obtain Army Reserve medical records from 1970-1973. The Veteran's claims for service connection will be reconsidered after these records are obtained.

The Board finds that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his military service, as there is no evidence of in-service noise exposure or a nexus between current symptoms and service.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss is currently evaluated as 20 percent disabling. The Board finds that the disability rating criteria are adequate to describe his condition and no higher rating can be assigned.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for chronic bronchitis have been reopened. However, his increased rating claims for degenerative disease of the lumbosacral spine and bilateral hearing loss disability remain denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss does not warrant a compensable disability rating at any point during the initial appeal period.

The Veteran's hearing loss disability was evaluated as zero percent disabling in both November 2007 and November 2008, with no evidence of an exceptional pattern of hearing loss. The Board finds that the preponderance of the evidence is against a compensable evaluation.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability is at least as likely as not related to his in-service ear infections, and thus service connection for this condition is granted.

The Veteran's initial noncompensable rating for bilateral hearing loss has been upheld as his audiometric test results do not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation.

The Board has found that the Veteran's in-service exposure to significant acoustic trauma as a result of his active combat service in Vietnam is conceded. The Veteran contends that he incurred bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus during active service, but the VA examiner opined that there was no evidence of current disability due to bilateral hearing loss or tinnitus related to active service. The Board finds the July 2008 VA examination inadequate for purposes of adjudication.

The Board has determined that there is no right ear hearing loss disability present during the pendency of this claim. The Veteran's service connection claim for PTSD was also denied as there is no evidence of a current disability.

The Board found that the Veteran's right ear hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his military service, as there is no evidence of hearing loss or tinnitus during service or within one year after separation. The VA examiner concluded that the current hearing loss and tinnitus are less likely related to in-service noise exposure.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining service records and VA examinations. The Veteran's claims of service connection are pending.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current disability for VA purposes related to hearing loss, and thus denied her claim of entitlement to service connection for hearing loss.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for sensorineural hearing loss in the left ear, finding that his condition did not manifest during or within one year after his periods of active service and was not aggravated by such service.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations for bilateral hearing loss and bilateral knee arthritis were denied. The Board found no higher evaluation was appropriate based on the evidence of record.

The Board granted a 20 percent rating for bilateral hearing loss effective December 27, 2012. The Veteran's right ear had Level V hearing and his left ear had Level VI hearing.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently rated as zero percent disabling, effective June 1, 2004. The Board finds that the current rating adequately reflects the severity of his service-connected bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral sensorineural hearing loss is being remanded due to the need for additional medical examination and consideration of lay evidence.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining VA and private medical records, scheduling a VA examination to assess bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, and readjudicating both issues.