Hearing loss Board decisions

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding no current evidence of these conditions. The veteran's claims are referred to the RO for further consideration.

The Board has determined that a VA examination and medical opinion are necessary to determine the nature and etiology of any hearing loss present. The veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is being remanded for further development.

The Board has determined that the veteran sustained injuries to his right shoulder during combat conditions in service, and thus grants service connection for residuals of a right shoulder injury. Service connection is also granted for bilateral hearing loss as it is presumed related to service due to exposure to loud noise from military service.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to assess the severity of his service-connected lumbar spine disability and determine if he has bilateral hearing loss. The issue of tinnitus will also be deferred until further information can be obtained.

The Board has granted the veteran's claim to reopen his service connection claims for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss, but finds that neither condition was incurred in or aggravated by military service.

The veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining relevant medical records and scheduling a VA audiological examination.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there is no evidence of a causal relationship between these conditions and active service.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development of his claims, including obtaining medical records and information from the Social Security Administration.

The Board found that the reduction in the evaluation for bilateral hearing loss from 30 to 20 percent was proper based on improved hearing acuity as shown by recent audiometric tests.

The VA denied the veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of eye flash burns, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus. The Board found that there is no current diagnosis of an eye disorder, and the veteran did not have any complaints or treatment related to eye flash burns until many years after separation from service.,There was no evidence of chronic disability resulting from a disease or injury in service for the conditions at issue.

The veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are as likely as not the result of noise exposure in service, and the Board finds that they were incurred during active service.

The Board found that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss did not manifest during service or within one year thereafter, and it was not shown to be causally related to his military service. Therefore, the claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss was denied.

The veteran is seeking service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, which he attributes to his inservice exposure to loud noise. The Board has determined that additional development is necessary due to new evidence submitted by the veteran.

The VA determined that the veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred in service or related to his active duty, as there was no evidence of such conditions during or immediately after service.

The VA determined that the veteran's current bilateral hearing loss, right knee disability, and left knee disability were not incurred in or aggravated by active service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claimed bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred or aggravated during service, nor are they presumed to have been incurred due to exposure to noise. The evidence does not support a finding of continuity of symptomatology since service.

The veteran's claim for an increased rating for service-connected bilateral hearing loss is being remanded to the VA Compensation and Pension Service for consideration of an extraschedular rating due to marked interference with employment.

The veteran's claim for payment or reimbursement of unauthorized medical expenses incurred at Chenango Memorial Hospital in August 2005 was denied as the treatment did not meet the criteria for emergency care and no VA facility was feasibly available.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are service-connected, but his PTSD claim is denied as there is no evidence of a valid diagnosis under DSM-IV criteria.

The veteran's claim for payment or reimbursement of medical expenses incurred at a private hospital from November 20, 2003 to November 21, 2003 is granted due to the lack of suitable VA facilities.