Hearing loss Board decisions

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss does not warrant a compensable rating.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for bilateral hearing loss from January 24, 2008 is being remanded due to discrepancies in the audiology evaluation results.

The Veteran's service connection claim for bilateral hearing loss was denied as there is no evidence of a current disability related to his military service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and hernia or residuals of hernia are denied as there is no current disability meeting the VA criteria for a hearing impairment or hernia.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for a stomach disability due to new and material evidence. However, it denied his claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and an increased rating for status post tonsillectomy.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have a current left ear hearing disability for VA purposes and denied his claim of service connection for left ear hearing loss. The right ear hearing loss was deemed to be within normal limits upon discharge from active duty, leading to denial of service connection.

The Veteran's service-connected anxiety disorder is not entitled to an evaluation in excess of 30 percent, and his claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are denied as there is no evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is being remanded due to the need for a VA examination and additional development of his medical records.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was found to be incurred within one year of separation from his first period of active service, and thus is presumed to have been incurred in service. The Veteran's hepatitis C is presumed to have been incurred during service due to the lack of any scientific evidence to document transmission through airgun injectors.

The Board has decided to remand the case for further development, including verifying the Veteran's claimed noise exposure and obtaining VA audiological examination.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus were denied as there was no medical evidence linking the current disabilities to his military service.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable rating for hearing loss in the right ear was denied as his current level of disability does not meet the criteria for any higher evaluation.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to incomplete or unclear evidence, particularly regarding service connection for hearing loss and a brain tumor.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were denied as there was no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board granted a 20 percent rating for bilateral hearing loss effective July 18, 2007. The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date was denied.

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

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability resulted in no worse than Level IV hearing in the right ear and Level II hearing in the left ear prior to August 10, 2009. As of August 10, 2009, his disability results in Level V hearing in both ears, warranting a 20% rating.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is related to his period of active service, and thus service connection for this condition is granted.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for a TDIU as his combined rating is less than 70% and he does not have one disability rated at least 40%. The Board finds that the evidence does not support an extra-schedular evaluation.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding no evidence of a relationship between these conditions and his military service.