Hearing loss Board decisions

The Veteran's cause of death, a hemorrhagic stroke, is determined to be related to his service-connected disabilities. The Board finds that the evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether these service-connected conditions contributed to the Veteran's death.

The Board denied the claim for a compensable disability rating for bilateral hearing loss, finding that the appellant's hearing acuity is at Level I in both ears, which corresponds to a zero percent disability rating under DC 6100. The Board concluded that an exceptional pattern of hearing impairment was not shown.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss. The Veteran contends that his current hearing loss is related to noise exposure during service, but the VA examiner found no significant threshold shift and did not support a negative nexus opinion.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss as the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of hearing loss disability.

The Veteran's claims for tinnitus and hearing loss were granted with an effective date of February 1, 1999.

The Board has decided to remand the claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to a lack of verification of periods of active duty for training (ACDUTRA) and/or inactive duty for training (INACDUTRA). The examiner is requested to verify all such periods and conduct an examination to determine if the veteran's hearing loss is related to his military service.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are related to his in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has been rated as noncompensable since March 10, 2016. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating.

The Veteran's bilateral sensorineural hearing loss and tinnitus are granted as service-connected, effective from February 17, 2021.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient examination regarding whether in-service noise exposure caused or is otherwise etiologically related to the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and remanded the issues of service connection for low back disorder, eye disorder, and right knee disability.

The Board has decided to remand the case due to a duty to assist error and insufficient rationale in the VA examiner's opinion. The Veteran's hearing loss is being reviewed again for possible connection to service exposure.

The Board has granted service connection for right ear hearing loss but denied service connection for left ear hearing loss.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied because he does not have a current hearing loss disability as defined by VA regulations.

The Veteran's left ear hearing loss is currently rated as noncompensable due to the presence of Level I hearing acuity in both ears, which corresponds with no worse than 0% disability.

Service connection for hypercholesterolemia, microscopic hematuria, bilateral hearing loss, tinea versicolor, psoriatic arthritis of the knees, shoulders, and ankles, a bilateral shoulder disability (including psoriatic arthritis and bilateral lateral collateral ligament sprain), and a bilateral ankle disability (including psoriatic arthritis and osteoarthritis) is denied.,The Veteran's hypercholesterolemia and microscopic hematuria are not service-connected as they were preexisting conditions.

The Veteran's claims for effective dates prior to October 2, 2019, for the grant of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were denied as there was no evidence indicating an intent to file a claim before that date.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for floaters and torn eye muscles has been dismissed due to the absence of a valid AMA rating decision. The claims for bilateral hearing loss, an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD), and bilateral pes planus have been remanded.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss disability was evaluated as noncompensable, and the Board found that it did not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, but has remanded the issue of service connection for bilateral hearing loss.,Tinnitus is found to have started during active duty and continues since then. Bilateral hearing loss requires further examination and opinion.