Hearing loss Board decisions

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus do not warrant a rating in excess of 10 percent, effective February 8, 2006. The appeal is denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have diagnoses of certain conditions, and there is no competent medical evidence linking his military service to any current disabilities. Therefore, these claims for service connection are denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection, finding that there was no legal basis to award higher ratings or secondary service connection. The veteran's hearing loss is currently rated at 30 percent, tinnitus at maximum schedular rating (10%), diabetes mellitus at 20%, diabetic neuropathy of both upper extremities at 10% each, and major depressive disorder was not found to be related to his diabetes.

The Board has determined that the veteran did not have an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include depression, during service or within one year thereafter. The residuals of a back injury and bilateral knee injuries are also not shown to be related to service. Hearing loss is not demonstrated as a disability under VA regulations.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain additional information regarding the veteran's hearing loss and to clarify the etiology of his current bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claimed bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred or aggravated by service, and therefore denied both claims.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including scheduling an examination and obtaining additional medical records. The veteran's claim of service connection for vertigo is on appeal.

The Board found that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred or aggravated by service, as there was no medical evidence linking these conditions to his military service. The Board also noted that the veteran did not report any complaints of hearing loss or ringing in his ears during service or at his separation examination.

The Board has remanded the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to incomplete information regarding his Reserve duty. The case will be returned to the RO/AMC for further development.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete VA treatment records and the need for an audiologist's opinion regarding whether current hearing loss and tinnitus are related to service.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the schedular criteria for a TDIU, but the Board is remanding the case to determine if his unemployability is due to his service-connected conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD and assigned a rating of 70 percent effective January 25, 2007. The veteran's earlier ratings were upheld.

The Board has denied the veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that it is not related to his military service.

The Board found that the veteran's right ear hearing loss existed prior to his entry into active duty service and did not permanently increase in severity during service. Therefore, it was denied as service connection.

The Board has determined that the veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred or aggravated during her active service, and therefore denied both claims.

The VA denied a rating in excess of 10 percent for the veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss, as audiometric testing showed levels II and IV.

The veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is shown to be causally or etiologically related to service, and the Board finds that his currently claimed hearing deficiency developed as a result of exposure to noise during service. Therefore, the claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is granted.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a more recent VA examination of his bilateral hearing loss disability.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have hearing loss or tinnitus as a result of his active military service.

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