Hearing loss Board decisions

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss has been reopened and is now granted. The claim for service connection for tinnitus remains pending.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to obtain medical opinions regarding the etiology of his claimed conditions and their relationship to service.

The Board has remanded the claims for additional development due to insufficient nexus evidence linking the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus to his military service, specifically noise exposure during combat in Vietnam. The Veteran will be provided another VA audiological evaluation.

The Veteran's death was not considered service-connected, as he did not meet the criteria for DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318.

The Veteran's PTSD has been granted with a 30 percent initial disability rating, effective from May 22, 2007. The claim for bilateral hearing loss was not reopened.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to determine if his hearing loss and tinnitus are related to service, specifically exposure to noise during basic and advanced individual training.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus disabilities are not related to service, and thus denied both claims.

The Board denied the Veteran's requests to reopen his claims for service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus, finding no new and material evidence. The September 2004 denial remains final.

The Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is not shown to have been present in service or for many years thereafter, and it was not caused by any incident of his period of active military service.

The Veteran's hearing loss is found to be etiologically related to service, and the appeal for service connection is granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus and hearing loss in the right ear are service-connected, with the latter being aggravated by active service.

The Board found that the Veteran's right ear hearing loss did not meet the criteria for a disability under VA regulations and denied service connection. For his lung disorder, the Board determined there was no competent evidence linking it to in-service asbestos exposure.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is related to in-service acoustic trauma and grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently rated at 10 percent since August 13, 2010. The Board denied an increased rating for the condition.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including VA examinations to determine the nature and etiology of his low back disability, current severity of his service-connected left thumb scar and digital nerve damage, and current severity of his bilateral hearing loss. The Veteran also requested a Travel Board hearing.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is not related to service, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran seeks service connection for bilateral hearing loss, which he attributes to his in-service exposure to a constant barrage from a 175 millimeter artillery piece. The VA examiner found no evidence of preexisting hearing loss at the time of enlistment and separation, but noted that the Veteran's current hearing loss may have occurred subsequent to discharge. The Board finds the opinion inadequate and remands for a new VA audiological examination.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss and gastrointestinal disabilities, finding no current disability in either case.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his military service, as evidenced by significant post-service noise exposure. As a result, the claims for service connection have been denied.

The Board finds that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his in-service noise exposure, and grants service connection for these conditions.