Hearing loss decisions — 2000

The veteran's claim for service connection for burns of the feet is not well grounded.,Service connection has been granted for hearing loss in the left ear, determined to be of service origin.

The Board has reopened the appellant's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and determined that it is plausible, with some evidence in equipoise with the claim. The appellant incurred a current bilateral hearing loss disability during his military service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus and left ear hearing loss, finding that the evidence did not support a plausible claim. The right ear hearing loss claim was previously denied in August 1990 and is considered final due to lack of appeal. No new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen this claim.

The Board found the veteran's claims for service connection to be not well grounded due to lack of supporting medical evidence.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his right ear hearing loss, tinnitus, and right ear otitis media as they are already at their maximum schedular ratings.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there was no competent medical evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The case is being remanded due to the need for additional evidence and a review of SSA records, as well as the veteran's medical history. The issues on appeal include reopening the claim for service connection for back injury, hearing loss, and tinnitus.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claim for service connection for left ear hearing loss disability is not well grounded, as there is no competent evidence linking the current disability to his active service.

The veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently rated at 20 percent effective July 20, 1994. The appeal for a higher rating remains denied.

The Board has remanded the case to the RO for further development of evidence, including obtaining VA medical records and arranging for audiological and ear examinations. The veteran's claims for service connection on direct incurrence and secondary bases will be adjudicated.

The veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is well grounded, and the RO should obtain his medical records and schedule him for a VA audiological evaluation to determine if his current hearing impairment is related to in-service exposure to loud noises.

The VA determined that the appellant's current bilateral hearing loss is not related to his military service, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for heart disease, hearing loss, and tinnitus. The evidence did not support a finding of new and material evidence for the claim regarding heart disease. For hearing loss and tinnitus, there was no current disability meeting VA compensation criteria.

The veteran's claims for service connection for bronchitis, headaches, and right ear hearing loss are not well grounded. The claim for an increased evaluation for post-traumatic stress disorder is also not well grounded.

The veteran's claim for a higher rating for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss was denied as the evidence did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under the applicable VA regulations.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and chronic bronchitis have been denied as his conditions do not warrant a higher rating based on the current medical evidence.

The RO granted service connection for a low back disorder, increased the disability evaluation of the left shoulder disorder to 20 percent and confirmed the denial of the remaining claims.

The Board found that the appellant did not file a timely and adequate substantive appeal for his claims of service connection and disability rating, thus dismissing these issues.

The Board has remanded the veteran's claims due to conflicting evidence regarding his service status from 1984 to 1996. The RO is instructed to obtain his personnel records and determine if he was on active duty, active duty for training, or other type of duty during this period.

The VA has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss, currently rated at 10 percent, does not warrant an increased rating.