Hearing loss Board decisions

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities (bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus) do not preclude him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has remanded the claims for additional development due to outstanding VA and private records, a response from the Director of Compensation Service regarding extraschedular hearing loss rating, and an opinion on service connection for a back disorder.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss and bilateral tinnitus, finding that these conditions are related to his active duty service.

The Board has remanded the case due to the Veteran's failure to report for a requested hearing and because additional VA records are needed. The Veteran is also asked to provide authorizations for treatment from two medical facilities.

The Veteran's claim for bilateral hearing loss disability was denied as he does not have a current hearing loss disability. The claim for PTSD was not addressed due to the need for clarification of specific stressors.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hearing loss is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining missing service personnel records and a VA examination.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including VA examinations and a de novo review.

The Board has determined that a compensable evaluation for bilateral hearing loss is warranted beginning July 15, 2011.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to his death during the pendency of the appeal.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, which include headaches, scarring from a motor vehicle accident, and other conditions, have rendered him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment. The Board has determined that he meets the criteria for a TDIU based on his combined disability rating of 80 percent.

The Veteran seeks a TDIU based on his service-connected disabilities and the medication he must take for pain related to those conditions. The Board finds that a VA examination is needed to determine the current severity of his service-connected disorders and their impact on employment.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current hearing loss disability for VA compensation purposes and his tinnitus did not begin during service or is otherwise related to service. Therefore, the claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are denied.

The Board found that the appellant does not have hearing loss in the right ear that is the result of disease or injury incurred in or aggravated by active military service.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss is currently rated at 60 percent, which is the maximum schedular rating available. The Board denied an increased rating for his bilateral hearing loss.

The Board finds that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his active service, with current evidence in equipoise. Service connection is granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is at least as likely as not related to service, while his bilateral hearing loss is less likely than not incurred in or aggravated by service.

The Board denied service connection for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine and right ear hearing loss disability as there is no evidence to support a current disability.,VA treatment records show that the Veteran reported back pain in 1986, but physical examination at discharge from active service did not reveal any abnormalities. The first documented post-service complaints were in 2005.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss does not warrant a rating in excess of 40 percent, as his audiometric test results did not meet the criteria for higher ratings based on the average impairment of earning capacity resulting from his service-connected condition.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left ear hearing loss is etiologically related to his military service.,There is no evidence of a current disability of the left index finger, and the medical evidence does not support a finding of residuals from an in-service injury.

The Board finds that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus are related to his active duty military service, granting these claims.