Hearing loss decisions — 2001

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding no evidence of in-service injury or noise exposure that could be linked to current conditions.

The veteran's service-connected conditions did not contribute substantially to his death. The appellant is therefore denied DIC benefits and the other claims.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and conducting examinations to assess the veteran's service-connected disabilities and their impact on his ability to work.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for left supraorbital area laceration scar residuals and remanded the case for further development.

The Board has determined that further development is necessary due to the appellant's psychiatric condition and hearing loss, as well as his left knee disorder. The VA will need to obtain additional evidence from the appellant and provide him with a supplemental statement of the case if benefits are not granted.

The Board has determined that the veteran's cervical spine disability was not incurred in service and is not related to his service-connected disabilities.,The veteran's multiple shell fragment wound scars have been evaluated as 10 percent disabling, which is the maximum schedular evaluation available under Diagnostic Code 7804.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and contact dermatitis (claimed as a skin disorder) due to lack of evidence meeting VA criteria for a disability.

The Board finds that the veteran incurred tinnitus during his military service and grants service connection for this condition. The other claims are pending, including an increased rating for hearing loss, reopening of a claim for eye injuries, PTSD, and hepatitis C.

The Board denied a rating in excess of 20 percent for the veteran's residuals of a shell fragment wound to the right shoulder and denied entitlement to a compensable evaluation for his bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for right ear hearing loss, residuals of a right ankle injury, and a right foot disorder. The claim for compensable initial disability rating for sinusitis is not established as noncompensable.

The veteran's claims for compensable ratings for his service-connected left ear hearing loss and perforated tympanic membrane were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not warrant a higher rating under either the old or new VA rating criteria.

The Board denied the veteran's claim, finding no clear and unmistakable error in the November 1992 rating decision that assigned a 10% disability evaluation for hearing loss effective May 12, 1992.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss is granted, based on direct evidence and without reopening the case due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Board denied the veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for hearing loss and found that new and material evidence had not been submitted sufficient to reopen a claim of entitlement to service connection for a back disability. The appeal is now remanded for further development.

The case is being remanded for the RO to re-rate the veteran's existing disabilities and then re-adjudicate his claim for special monthly pension based on the need for regular aid and attendance or on housebound status.

The Board denied service connection for residuals of a fracture of the right foot and assigned an initial evaluation in excess of 50 percent for post-traumatic stress disorder. The veteran's claim for a compensable evaluation for fractures of the left foot was also denied.

The Board has found that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The claim is granted.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a low back condition, left ear otitis, and bilateral hearing loss due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The veteran's claim for payment or reimbursement of medical expenses incurred at Fletcher Allen Health Care from April 8 to 11, 1998 is denied as the prostate cancer was not a service-connected disability at that time.