Hearing loss decisions — 2003

The Board has granted the veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that these conditions are due to noise exposure during his military service.

The veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and vertigo are being remanded due to the need for a VA audiologic examination.

The veteran's service connection claim for a back disorder is granted, and his bilateral hearing loss disability remains at noncompensable level.

The veteran was not rated as totally disabled due to service-connected disabilities at the time of his death, and therefore is not eligible for DIC benefits under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318.

The Board has ordered further development in the veteran's case, including obtaining additional medical records and arranging for VA examinations to determine the nature, extent, and etiology of his skin disorder and hearing loss disability. The appeal is currently pending due to these developments.

The Board has determined that the reduction of the veteran's disability rating from 40 percent to 20 percent for bilateral hearing loss was warranted due to improvement in his condition. The requirements for restoration have not been met.

The Board has determined that the veteran's arthritis of multiple joints and bilateral hearing loss were not incurred or aggravated by service, nor can they be presumed to have been incurred during service. The evidence does not support a finding that these conditions are related to service.

The veteran's tinnitus was found to have begun during his military service and is therefore granted as service-connected.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to missing service medical records and a VA audiological examination.

The Board found no clear and unmistakable error in the April 1979 decision denying service connection for left exotropia, bilateral hearing loss, chronic sinusitis, hypertension, and stomach ulcers. The December 1999 decision also did not contain CUE.

The Board has determined that the veteran's right shoulder impingement syndrome is a result of his military service and grants service connection for this condition. The issues of bilateral hearing loss, arthritis of the hands, and arthritis of the knees will be addressed in a separate remand.

The Board has ordered further development due to pending issues regarding service connection for various conditions, including bilateral hearing loss, a scar of the right buttocks, and removal of the right testicle. The case is now remanded for additional examination and review.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for hearing loss, finding no evidence of a chronic disability during or within one year after service and rejecting the veteran's contention that his current hearing loss is related to noise exposure in service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's timely substantive appeal was filed with respect to his August 1998 RO rating decision, which denied service connection for a right shoulder condition, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus. The case is now being returned to the RO for further development of the issues.

The Board found that the veteran does not have a current hearing loss disability for VA purposes and there is no evidence of a compensable hearing loss disability within one year after discharge from service. The Board also determined that there is no competent evidence relating the veteran's claimed disability to his military service or noise exposure therein.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim for PTSD and denied service connection for it. The appeal regarding his bilateral hearing loss is mixed, with some issues granted and others not.

The Board denied service connection for a chronic right hip disorder and hearing loss of the right ear, but granted an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for chondromalacia patella of each knee effective from April 1992.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his military service, warranting service connection. The left pterygium is not considered a condition incurred in or aggravated by service.

The Board finds that the veteran's hearing loss of the left ear is as likely as not related to his service, while there is no evidence linking his current right ear hearing loss to service.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss, kidney disease, urinary incontinence, and lumbar spine condition.