Hearing loss decisions — 2000

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen claims for right ankle edema, otitis media (right ear), and bilateral hearing loss. However, the claim for service connection for right ankle edema remains denied as there is no evidence showing it was incurred in or aggravated by service.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss and has determined that new and material evidence was not submitted to reopen his claim for service connection of a back disorder.

The Board has denied the veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there is no evidence of in-service acoustic trauma or noise exposure. The RO was directed to obtain additional service medical records and conduct a VA examination.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, a chronic lung disability, and bilateral eye disability. The right ear hearing loss was rated at Level II.

The veteran does not have hearing loss of the right ear by VA standards and her claim for service connection is denied.

The Board has granted service connection for left ear hearing loss, finding that the veteran's hearing acuity decreased during her active duty and is now within VA standards of disability.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that these conditions are related to noise exposure during military service.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and providing the veteran with a VA examination to determine if his current hearing loss disability is related to service.

The VA determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss does not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation under the applicable rating schedule.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, but further action is needed to decide their merits.

The Board found that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus did not warrant a higher evaluation under the applicable rating criteria, as his audiometric results did not show a disability to the degree of severity reported by him. The noncompensable evaluation for bilateral hearing loss and 10 percent evaluation for tinnitus remain unchanged.

The Board of Veterans' Appeals denied the veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to lack of well-groundedness, and recommended further development under the Veterans Claims Assistance Act of 2000.

The veteran's appeals for increased ratings on post-traumatic stress disorder, residuals of shell fragment wounds of the right hip with sciatic radiculopathy of the right lower extremity, and bilateral hearing loss have been dismissed.

The VA determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss, as evaluated by his most recent audiological examination in May 2000, did not warrant a compensable disability evaluation under the applicable rating schedule. The RO found that the veteran's average puretone thresholds were within normal limits and his speech recognition ability was excellent.

The Board of Veterans' Appeals (BVA) has determined that the veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus have been denied. The BVA found insufficient evidence to establish a nexus between any current disabilities and active military service.

The veteran's claims for service connection for post traumatic stress disorder, hearing loss, and tinnitus are being remanded to the RO for additional development.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss does not warrant a compensable evaluation, and thus denied his claim.

The Board has remanded the case due to need for further development, including obtaining medical records and conducting a social and industrial survey. The veteran's service-connected disabilities are being evaluated along with his nonservice-connected conditions.

The evidence submitted since the November 1997 RO decision is sufficient to reopen the veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus.

The veteran's bilateral hearing loss is the result of acoustic trauma during service and has been granted service connection. The left ankle disorder and skin cancer with a benign mole in the preauricular area are not found to be related to service.