Hearing loss Board decisions

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been received to reopen the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, thus denying these claims.

The Board has determined that additional evidentiary development is necessary prior to the adjudication of the appellant's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The case is REMANDED for a VA audiological examination and readjudication.

The Board found that the evidence received since July 1994 is not new and material, thus denying the Veteran's claims for reopening his service connection for right and left ear hearing loss, to include as secondary to service-connected tinnitus.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is manifested by pure tone threshold averages and speech recognition scores that correspond to not worse than level 'I' hearing on the right and level 'IV' hearing on the left, resulting in a noncompensable rating.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development due to a lack of consideration of his exposure to aircraft engine noise in service.

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

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and granted it, finding that new evidence supports a current diagnosis of hearing loss and linking it to in-service noise exposure.

The Board found that the Veteran's claimed hearing loss and tinnitus disabilities were not incurred or aggravated by active service, as there was no evidence of such conditions during service or for many years thereafter. The Board also noted that the Veteran did not provide sufficient evidence to establish a direct service connection.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination to determine the etiology of his hearing loss and tinnitus.

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

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of bilateral hearing loss was denied as he did not submit a formal or informal application prior to May 7, 2007.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including scheduling an appropriate VA examination to determine if the Veteran's current bilateral hearing impairment is related to his active military service or to his service-connected bilateral otitis externa.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss does not warrant a compensable initial disability rating.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss and sinusitis, finding that new and material evidence has been submitted. The Veteran's current hearing loss is found to be related to in-service acoustic trauma, while his current sinusitis is not linked to active duty.

The Board denied service connection for back disability, left knee disability, and bilateral hearing loss. The claim for right hand disability was not reopened.

The Board has remanded the claims for a VA examination to determine the etiology of the veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus, as well as any other relevant information in the medical records.

The Board found no evidence of in-service acoustic trauma and concluded that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is not related to his military service.

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

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD, along with other disabilities, has rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. The Board agrees and grants the TDIU.

The Veteran's multiple joint arthritis, excluding a back disorder, hearing loss, eye disorder, heart disorder (including hypertension), and testicular disorder were not incurred or aggravated by service. The Board found no evidence linking these conditions to military service.