Hearing loss decisions — 2003

The Board found that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss was not present during or related to his service and may not be presumed to have been incurred due to noise exposure. The claim for service connection was denied.

The Board has ordered further development in the veteran's case, including psychiatric and audiologic examinations. The issues of service connection for hearing loss and an increased evaluation for PTSD are pending.

The Board found that the veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is related to noise exposure during his military service and granted service connection for this condition.

The veteran claims service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, which are currently shown. The Board notes that the veteran served during two periods of active duty but was discharged under other than honorable conditions from his second period. The RO will arrange for a VA examination to assess the current status of these conditions and their relationship to service.

The Board found that the veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus did not warrant an initial compensable evaluation, as his pure tone thresholds were within noncompensable limits.

The Board has ordered further development due to pending issues regarding the veteran's claim for service connection of bilateral hearing loss. The case is now remanded for additional examinations and consideration.

The veteran withdrew his appeal for a compensable rating for his bilateral hearing loss just prior to the scheduled video-conference hearing.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities, primarily her degenerative disc disease of the lumbosacral spine, preclude her from obtaining and maintaining substantially gainful employment.

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

The VA denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected mixed headache syndrome with muscular contraction, prostatitis, and bilateral hearing loss. The RO found that the veteran did not meet the criteria for a higher rating under the applicable diagnostic codes.

The veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus disabilities combine to render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, warranting TDIU.

The Board has ordered further development in your case, including obtaining hospital summaries of inpatient treatment for hearing loss and degenerative arthritis. The appeal is being remanded to the RO for additional development.

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

The Board denied the appellant's claims for initial compensable ratings for hearing loss of the right ear and tinnitus, as well as his request for an effective date prior to February 27, 1992. The appeal was dismissed due to lack of evidence supporting a claim for tinnitus prior to that date.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claimed conditions of degenerative joint disease in the right knee, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus were not incurred or aggravated by service. The evidence does not support a finding of service connection for these conditions.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability does not meet or approximate the criteria for a compensable evaluation under VA rating criteria.

The Board denied a rating in excess of 10 percent for bilateral hearing loss and denied an effective date earlier than July 9, 1996, for the grant of service connection for tinnitus.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence was submitted to reopen the claim of service connection for hearing loss in the left ear. The veteran's current hearing loss is found to be related to his service, resulting in a grant of service connection.

The VA determined that the veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss did not warrant a compensable evaluation based on his audiometric test results.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD and assigned a 70 percent rating, finding that the veteran's symptoms meet the criteria for such a rating due to severe impairment in work, social, and family relations. The decision also grants reopening of the claim for bilateral hearing loss.