Hearing loss decisions — 2001

The Board denied the veteran's claim to reopen his service connection for hearing loss, finding that no new and material evidence had been submitted.

The Board of Veterans' Appeals has determined that the veteran's bilateral sensorineural hearing loss is related to his military service and grants the claim for service connection.

The veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss was initially rated as noncompensable from February 22, 1999 through March 21, 2001. Since March 22, 2001, his bilateral hearing loss has been rated at 10 percent.

The Board has dismissed the veteran's appeals as they are not timely filed, given the expiration of the time limits to perfect an appeal from certain rating decisions.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss and right lower extremity disability were not incurred or aggravated by service, and thus denied both claims.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities, including bilateral inguinal hernia repair, right great toe hallux valgus repair with arthritic changes, tinnitus, and otitis media with hearing loss, do not preclude him from obtaining or retaining substantially gainful employment that is consistent with his occupational experience. The temporary total rating for convalescence has been granted through November 30, 1993.

The Board denied service connection for Meniere's disease with vertigo, finding no evidence of its onset during or immediately after service. Service connection was granted for hearing loss, presumed due to noise exposure in service, and denied for tinnitus.,The veteran had a preexisting hearing loss that worsened over time, consistent with the natural progression of progressive Meniere's disease.

The veteran's claim for an increased rating for prostatitis was granted, with a 20% evaluation. The issue of service connection for hearing loss is pending and will be addressed in the remand section.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings for his knee disabilities and entitlement to TDIU are denied. The RO must review these claims again after considering the additional evidence submitted by the veteran.

The Board found no evidence of a current cervical spine disability and denied service connection for the veteran's claimed residuals of a cervical spine injury. For his bilateral hearing loss, while the veteran engaged in combat with the enemy during service, there is no evidence showing that he has a current hearing loss disability as defined by VA standards.

The Board has determined that the appellant does not have hearing loss, neck pain, or back pain that is a result of any incident of military service and therefore denied all three claims.

The Board granted service connection for tinnitus of the right ear, finding it secondary to hearing loss. The effective date is October 24, 2005.

The Board found that the veteran does not meet the criteria for special monthly compensation based on need for regular aid and attendance or housebound status due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the veteran's current disabilities are related to his noise exposure during active duty. Service connection was denied for residuals of circumcision due to lack of a current disability.

The Board granted a 10 percent disability rating for service-connected bilateral hearing loss effective from January 19, 2000. The veteran's claim to reopen his gastrointestinal disorder was also granted.

The veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss and PTSD are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations.,The veteran's claim for service connection for a skin rash (rephrased as 'jungle rot') is being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations. The examiner should determine if it is at least as likely not that the condition is related to service or exposure to Agent Orange.,The veteran's claim for service connection for glaucoma is being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations. If both type 2 diabetes and glaucoma are diagnosed, the examiners should consider the relationship between them and render an opinion as to whether it is at least as likely as not that any diagnosed glaucoma is related to diabetes mellitus.,The veteran's claim for increased evaluation of PTSD remains on appeal.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss in his left ear and actinic keratosis, as well as an increased rating for PTSD. The veteran's current symptoms of PTSD include difficulty controlling anger, sleep disturbance, anxiety, hyperalertness, and depression. The VA examiner found no evidence linking these conditions to service or Agent Orange exposure.

The Board found that the veteran submitted new and material evidence to reopen his previously denied claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss. However, the evidence did not relate the current hearing loss to active service.

The Board has granted service connection for hearing loss and labyrinthine dysfunction (Meniere's disease) and assigned a 10 percent evaluation for otitis externa.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected left tympanic membrane perforation does not warrant a compensable evaluation, and his tinnitus and left ear hearing loss are found to be related to his military service. Service connection for these conditions is granted.