Hearing loss Board decisions

The Board has determined that the appellant's current hearing loss disability is due to noise exposure during service, and thus grants service connection for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including scheduling a VA audiological examination at an alternative facility if possible.

The Board has remanded the case due to deficiencies in its analysis, particularly regarding the clinical significance of changes in hearing ability during service and whether such shifts are related to current hearing loss.

The Board found that the Veteran's left ear hearing loss did not become manifest during service and is not otherwise related to service. As a result, the claim for service connection was denied.

The Board found that the Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred or aggravated in active service, and thus denied his claims for service connection.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss is currently evaluated as noncompensable, and the Board finds that his disability does not warrant a compensable evaluation.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for right ear hearing loss and left ear hearing loss have been denied. The Board found that there was no evidence of a chronic right ear hearing disorder during or within one year after service, and the medical opinion evidence did not support a nexus to service. For the left ear, while the Veteran had some hearing loss in 2006, which is recent onset, there was no evidence of any chronic hearing loss during service or within one year after service. The Board also found that the Veteran's current hearing loss does not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation.

The Board found no evidence of current bilateral hearing loss disability and denied the Veteran's claim for service connection.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left ear hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there is no evidence of a nexus between these conditions and his military service.

The Veteran's claim for an increased disability rating for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss was denied as the evidence did not show that his condition warranted a higher rating.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred or aggravated by active service, as there was no evidence of hearing loss at separation and no competent medical opinion linking current conditions to service.

The Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss was not incurred in or aggravated by active service and may not be presumed to have been incurred in service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus, finding that new and material evidence had not been presented to reopen these claims. The claim for bilateral hearing loss was based on a preexisting condition that worsened during service, but no such evidence has been provided since the last final denial in 2002. For tinnitus, the Board found that there is no competent medical evidence linking the current disability to service.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and remanded it for further development.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for hearing loss and tinnitus due to incomplete notice under the VCAA, need for additional VA treatment records from the VA CBOC in Mt. Vernon, Missouri, and other relevant medical records.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there is no evidence of current disabilities or a nexus to service.

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

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss does not warrant a rating higher than 30 percent, and his residuals of a fracture of the right 4th metacarpal bone with deformity do not meet the criteria for a separate compensable evaluation. The appeal is therefore denied.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable evaluation for bilateral hearing loss was denied by the Board, as his current hearing acuity levels do not meet the criteria for a compensable rating under VA disability compensation regulations.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred in or aggravated by active military service, and therefore denied his claims for service connection.