Hearing loss Board decisions

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hypertension was not incurred or aggravated during service, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Board finds that the Veteran's bilateral sensorineural hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his military service, with a presumption of noise exposure. The claims for service connection have been granted.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to the RO for additional development of his claims, including obtaining medical records and arranging for examinations to determine the nature and etiology of his claimed disabilities.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining employment records and psychiatric treatment records. The Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus are being evaluated to determine if they are related to service, specifically noise exposure and head injuries. A VA examination is also needed to assess whether the Veteran meets the criteria for a current psychiatric disorder, particularly PTSD.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for additional VA treatment records and a new VA audiological examination. The claim of entitlement to restoration of a 10 percent evaluation for bilateral hearing loss, currently rated as 0 percent disabling, will be reconsidered.

The Board has determined that additional development is necessary prior to the adjudication of the claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, including obtaining service personnel records to determine if the Veteran served as a Fire Control Technician Gunnery.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development due to the need for an opinion regarding whether his bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus are related to service, specifically noise exposure. The claims will be returned after further review.

The Veteran's request to withdraw his claim for service connection for diabetes mellitus has been granted.,New and material evidence has been received to reopen the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and a back disability. These conditions are found to have had their onset during active service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, both individually and as a whole, render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. The case is REMANDED for further development.

The Veteran's appeal for an initial disability rating in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus has been withdrawn. The remaining claims of entitlement to an initial compensable disability rating for bilateral hearing loss and Chapter 31 vocational rehabilitation benefits are being remanded for further development.

The Board has granted service connection for vertigo and a noncompensable rating for hearing loss. The Veteran's hearing loss disability is currently rated as noncompensably disabling, and the Board finds that it does not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation.

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

The Board has determined that the VA audiological examinations are inadequate for adjudicating the Veteran's claims and additional examination is needed. The Veteran served in Vietnam and had a military occupational specialty as a flight equipment man, which likely exposed him to noise during service.

The Veteran seeks service connection for a bilateral hearing loss disability. The VA examiner found the current bilateral sensorineural hearing loss disability unrelated to service, but additional evidence from post-service civilian employment may affect this determination.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including anxiety disorder, sinusitis, retropatellar pain syndrome of the right knee, tinnitus, and limitation of extension of the right knee, have rendered him unemployable. The Board finds that his TDIU is granted.

The Board has determined that the VA medical opinion regarding the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is inadequate and remanded for further action. The case is now being returned to the RO for adjudication.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss was not incurred in or aggravated by active duty, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD and multiple musculoskeletal conditions, render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. The Board finds that his combined disability rating of 90% supports the grant of TDIU.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left ear hearing loss is causally related to his military service, and he is granted service connection for this condition. However, there is no evidence of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma being incurred in or aggravated by service, nor can it be presumed due to exposure to herbicides. The neuropathy claim is also denied as the Veteran did not have a current diagnosis related to his period of active service.

The Board has determined that further development is needed before the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus can be decided.