Hearing loss Board decisions

The Board found that the Veteran does not have a current hearing loss disability for VA purposes and denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss. For his acquired psychiatric disability, the Board noted no PTSD diagnosis but diagnosed him with depression and schizoaffective disorder, finding these conditions were more likely related to post-service on-the-job trauma rather than service.

The Veteran likely has bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus that are attributable to his active military service, warranting service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran does not have sufficient hearing loss in either ear to be considered a disability by VA standards, and therefore his claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss pre-existed service and was not permanently worsened during service. The Board also found no current tinnitus due to service, nor did it meet the one-year presumption for organic diseases of the nervous system.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were denied as there was no evidence of an exceptional disability picture or that the schedular evaluations are inadequate.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim to reopen his service connection for bilateral hearing loss as no new and material evidence was submitted.

The Board has decided to remand the case for a VA audiological examination and further development due to incomplete information in previous examinations.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has most recently manifested by level II hearing. The Board finds that the preponderance of the evidence is against entitlement to a compensable rating for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is being remanded due to the need for a more complete examination and opinion regarding the etiology of his hearing loss.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus were not incurred in or aggravated by active service, nor may they be presumed to have been incurred in service. Therefore, service connection for these conditions is denied.

The Veteran's hearing loss in the right ear was noted upon entry into service and remained unchanged at separation. Hearing loss in the left ear is not shown to have been incurred or aggravated by service, nor presumed due to exposure to Agent Orange or other environmental factors.

The Veteran's initial claim for a compensable evaluation for bilateral hearing loss has been granted, but the appeal is being remanded due to his claim for service connection for chronic cephalgia.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to a need for further development, including additional medical examination and opinion regarding the etiology of his bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Veteran does not have hearing loss or tinnitus that is related to his military service.

The evidence does not support a finding that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is related to his military service, and thus the claim for service connection has been denied.

The Veteran's claims for higher initial disability evaluations for his bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were denied. The effective date for the grant of service connection for bilateral hearing loss was set at June 3, 2008.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred or aggravated by active service, as there is no evidence of a current disability within one year of separation from service. The VA examiner found that post-service noise exposure was more significant than in-service noise exposure.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right ear hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his military service, with all reasonable doubt resolved in favor of the claimant.

The Board has found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to service, with the most likely cause being noise exposure during his time as a heavy machine gun operator in World War II. As such, the claims for service connection have been granted.

The Board has determined that the appellant does not have a diagnosed bilateral hearing loss or tinnitus during service and finds no evidence to support his claim for service connection. The decision is denied.