Hearing loss Board decisions

The veteran's claims for service connection and initial rating for hearing loss, spinal disorder, and left leg disorder are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and Social Security Administration (SSA) records. The veteran is also to be provided VCAA notice regarding increased ratings and TDIU.

The veteran's request for a hearing has been noted, and the RO must schedule her for a personal hearing. She is also requested to clarify the type of hearing she requested.

The veteran's GERD, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus are all found to be related to service. Service connection is granted for these conditions.

The VA denied a compensable rating for the veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss.

The Board denied service connection for a right shoulder disability and hearing loss, finding no evidence linking these conditions to military service. The claim of reopening a foot disability was also denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran did not have bilateral hearing loss during service and there is no evidence linking his post-service hearing loss to service. Therefore, the claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss for accrued benefits purposes is denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection for his claimed conditions, finding that the evidence did not support a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss or service connection for skin cancer, hypertension, COPD, or chronic bronchitis based on herbicide exposure. The veteran's current disabilities were found to be unrelated to service.

The veteran's claim for an increased rating for his bilateral sensorineural hearing loss is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination.

The veteran's claim for restoration of a 10 percent disability evaluation for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss is being remanded due to the need for additional medical examination and consideration.

The Board determined that the veteran's right ear hearing loss existed prior to service and was not aggravated by military noise exposure. Therefore, the claim for service connection is denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran's tinnitus and hearing loss were not incurred in service, as there is no evidence of any such conditions during or immediately after his military service. The VA audiometric examination found no current hearing loss or tinnitus.

The veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings were denied. His PTSD was rated at 30 percent, his bilateral hearing loss did not warrant a compensable rating, and he does not have a respiratory disorder due to asbestos exposure.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities (post-traumatic stress disorder, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus) render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a service-connected disability for tinnitus or bilateral hearing loss with vertigo (Mônière's disease). The evidence shows no in-service occurrence of these conditions and no medical link to service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his military service, leading to a grant of service connection.

The Board found that the veteran's current bilateral hearing loss was not incurred in or aggravated by active service and sensorineural hearing loss could not be presumed to be related to service. The preponderance of evidence is against the claim.

The veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy, hearing loss, and tinnitus related to exposure to Agent Orange are denied as there is no current evidence of these conditions.

The VA denied the veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there was no evidence of a current disability meeting the threshold requirements and insufficient competent medical evidence to associate his claimed condition with an established event or disease in service.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for a VA examination and opinion regarding the etiology of the veteran's bilateral hearing loss. The claim will be reconsidered based on the new evidence.