Hearing loss decisions — 2003

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and cold injury residuals of the hands, finding that these conditions are related to service. The veteran's claims have been remanded for further development regarding his claim for service connection for cold injury residuals of the hands.

The veteran's claim for restoration of a 40 percent rating for his bilateral hearing loss from February 1, 2001 to April 9, 2001 was granted. The RO reduced the rating from 40 to 20 percent in January 2001 and then restored it back to 40 percent within one year of that decision.

The Board has granted service connection for a glomus tumor of the right ear, but denied service connection for left and right ear hearing loss.

The Board has ordered further development due to the need for additional medical records and examinations. The case will be returned to the RO for this purpose.

The veteran's bilateral hearing loss is due to acoustic trauma incurred during his military service, and the Board has granted service connection for this condition.

The veteran's PTSD is productive of definite social and industrial impairment, warranting a 30 percent rating.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for hemorrhoids with constipation and hearing loss in the right ear.

The Board dismissed the appeal for service connection for hearing loss due to the appellant's withdrawal of his appeal.

The VA determined that the appellant's bilateral hearing loss and perforated eardrums were pre-existing conditions that existed prior to his entry into service, and thus denied his claims for service connection.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to incomplete information regarding the veteran's service stressors and exposure to noise. The claims for PTSD, hearing loss, and tinnitus are also being reviewed.

The Board found that the veteran's hearing loss disability in his left ear is not related to service and denied the claim.

The Board denied an increased rating for the veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss, finding that the evidence did not warrant a higher evaluation.

The Board has granted a 20 percent rating for the veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss, effective July 31, 2000.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and residuals of shrapnel wound to the left arm, finding no evidence of a current disability or medical link to military service.

The Board denied the veteran's petition to reopen his claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that new and material evidence had not been submitted.

The veteran's claims for increased disability evaluations for chronic suppurative otitis media of the left ear and bilateral hearing loss were denied. The claim for an earlier effective date for a 10 percent disability evaluation for tinnitus prior to April 23, 2000 was also denied.

The veteran's appeal for an increased evaluation for bilateral hearing loss has been dismissed due to the death of the veteran during the pendency of the appeal.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for right ear hearing loss, finding that there was no evidence of in-service hearing problems or a nexus to current hearing issues.

The Board found that the veteran's current left ear hearing loss is not related to service, and denied his claim for service connection.

The veteran's tinnitus is rated at a 10 percent evaluation effective June 10, 2003. The RO has not yet considered the other issues and ratings.