Hearing loss Board decisions

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

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are being remanded due to the need for further examination and consideration of additional evidence.

The Board found that the Veteran's current hearing loss does not meet the criteria for a disability as defined by VA regulations, and thus denied his claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed as he withdrew his appeal for a disability rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD.

The Board denied service connection for hearing loss in the right ear, concluding that there was no evidence of a nexus between the Veteran's military service and his current condition.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability and back disorder were not incurred in or aggravated by service, and are not attributable to any incident of service. The evidence does not support a finding of direct service connection for these conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for Grave's disease and for increased disability ratings for his service-connected degenerative joint disease of the right hip and low back pain with retrolisthesis at L5-S1. The claim for service connection for Grave's disease was previously denied in 1995, but new evidence submitted since then did not relate to a fact not previously established that is necessary to substantiate the claim.

The Veteran's initial claim for a compensable evaluation for bilateral hearing loss was denied by the RO, and the Board concurs with this decision based on the audiometric results provided.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral mixed hearing loss was not shown to warrant a compensable rating, as it did not meet the criteria for any higher evaluation based on auditory acuity or speech discrimination.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and readjudication of all issues on appeal, including service connection claims and a claim for an increased rating for PTSD.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hearing loss of the left ear is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including a VA examination.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including a VA examination to assess whether the Veteran's service-connected disabilities alone would cause him to be unemployable. The appeal is now pending again with the AMC/RO.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus did not manifest during service or within one year thereafter, and there is no evidence of continuity of symptomatology. The VA examiner noted that the onset of both conditions was unknown.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and left ear tinnitus are not service-connected, with no evidence of in-service noise exposure or other causative factors.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is manifested by Level II and IV hearing acuity in the right and left ears, respectively. The Board finds that his disability picture does not warrant a compensable evaluation.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss did not manifest within one year of separation from service and concluded that it is unrelated to his military service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and increased ratings for his shell fragment wounds, chronic otitis media and mastoiditis of the right ear, and hearing loss of the right ear were denied. The claim for service connection for a neuropsychiatric disorder (to exclude PTSD) was not reopened due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations, as well as compliance with prior Board instructions.

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

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current psychiatric disorder, including bipolar disorder, and hearing loss of the right ear are related to his service. Therefore, service connection is granted for these conditions.