Hearing loss decisions — 2001

The Board dismissed the appellant's appeal as to service connection for right ear hearing loss due to a failure to file a timely Substantive Appeal. The psychiatric disability claim, including PTSD and alcohol dependence, was not addressed further.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral sensorineural hearing loss disability is due to acoustic trauma during active service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has denied service connection for a lung disorder and bilateral hearing loss due to lack of medical evidence linking these conditions to the veteran's active duty. The claim for a compensable rating for residuals of left ankle sprains is remanded.

The Board has restored service connection for bilateral hearing loss, rendering moot the issue of whether new and material evidence was presented to reopen this claim.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss is related to service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has granted a 60 percent evaluation for the veteran's service-connected asthma, which requires multiple courses of systemic corticosteroids.

The Board has granted service connection for traumatic arthritis of the left knee and increased the disability evaluation for neurovascular disturbances of the feet with history of exposure to 10 percent. The veteran's hypertension is rated at 10 percent.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss and residuals of a shell fragment wound, left tympanic membrane perforation are denied as there is no evidence to support the assignment of a compensable disability rating under the applicable VA rating criteria.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim and determined that his left ear hearing loss is related to service, including a myringoplasty performed during military service. The Board found new evidence sufficient to support reopening of the claim.

The Board has determined that new evidence submitted since the last denial supports reopening the claim of service connection for right ear hearing loss. The veteran's right ear hearing loss is now considered to be incurred in service due to noise exposure.

The veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development and notification under the Veterans Claims Assistance Act of 2000.

The Board has denied all claims for increased ratings as the evidence does not support a compensable rating for any of the conditions.

The veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome and bilateral hearing loss, as well as the propriety of the initial 10 percent evaluation assigned for arthritis of the right knee, were denied due to a lack of medical evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The veteran's case was remanded in April 1999 for additional development and is again before the Board on appeal from a March 2000 rating decision by the Department of Veterans Affairs Regional Office. The issue of entitlement to service connection for residuals of a right arm shell fragment wound was previously addressed, and the veteran was granted service connection with a noncompensable disability rating.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss is related to his military service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The veteran's PTSD is currently evaluated at 30 percent, which the Board finds insufficient to warrant a higher evaluation.

The VA has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss, which was initially granted in August 1998, does not warrant a compensable disability rating.

The Board has granted service connection for post-traumatic stress disorder and denied an increased rating for hearing loss in the right ear.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss began during his active military service and is therefore granted service connection.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional medical examination and development of records.