Hearing loss Board decisions

The Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including a VA examination.

The Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus are found to be related to his military service, specifically the acoustic trauma he experienced during active duty.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal regarding the increased initial evaluation for service-connected bilateral hearing loss, and is now pursuing an effective date prior to September 12, 2009.

The VA determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss does not warrant a compensable rating based on current audiometric test results.

The Veteran seeks service connection for bilateral hearing loss, which he contends is due to acoustic trauma sustained while serving with the United States Air Force. The case is REMANDED for additional development including locating a 1977 separation examination report and obtaining any relevant private treatment records.

The Veteran's PTSD has been granted and rated at 70 percent since September 17, 2007. The rating will be reduced to 30 percent effective April 1, 2010.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a right shoulder disability, hemorrhoids, and hearing loss were denied. The Board found that the Veteran did not have left ear hearing impairment for VA compensation purposes upon entrance into service but exhibited left ear hearing impairment at 4000 Hertz while on active duty. Service connection is granted for left ear hearing loss. Right ear hearing loss was not incurred or aggravated in service and sensorineural hearing loss may not be presumed to have been so incurred.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and a skin disorder (claimed as due to Agent Orange exposure) was not addressed in the decision.,Service connection for hypertension was granted based on its secondary nature to PTSD and diabetes mellitus.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to fully consider the Veteran's claims, including obtaining service personnel records and VA treatment records. The case is being remanded for these purposes.

The Board found that the Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his military service, as there is no evidence of such in-service exposure or manifestations. The claims were denied.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to incomplete records and the need for additional development, including VA examinations.

The Board has granted service connection for a left knee disability, finding that the Veteran's current condition is related to an in-service injury. The claim for hearing loss remains denied as it does not meet the schedular criteria for a compensable evaluation.

The Board found that the Veteran's right ear hearing loss did not originate during military service or until decades thereafter, and is not otherwise etiologically related thereto. The claim for service connection for right ear hearing loss was denied.

The Veteran's claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss was denied by operation of law. The Board found that new and material evidence had not been received to reopen the previously denied claim of service connection for pes planus, but remanded the issue of whether new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the previous denial of service connection for pes planus.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and a disability rating in excess of 20 percent for his back disability. The evidence did not support a finding that the Veteran had current bilateral hearing loss or a compensable back disability.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to his employment history and other nonservice-connected conditions.

The Board found no evidence of a current left ear hearing disability related to service and denied the Veteran's claim for service connection. For right ear hearing loss, while there were some audiometric test results indicating hearing loss, they did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating as defined by VA regulations.

The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable disability rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied as his puretone thresholds did not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation.

The Veteran's appeal was denied for entitlement to an evaluation in excess of 30 percent for PTSD. The Board found that the Veteran's PTSD manifested by symptoms such as depressed mood, anxiety, chronic sleep impairment, and memory impairment did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred in service, but granted service connection for both conditions based on direct evidence. The decision did not address any presumption of service connection.