Hearing loss decisions — 2004

The Board has remanded the veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss and Meniere's disease due to incomplete development of evidence.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, an increased rating for tinnitus, and a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss. The evidence did not support these claims.

The VA denied a compensable rating for the veteran's bilateral hearing loss, as his average puretone thresholds were level I in both ears.

The Board has granted a total rating of 100 percent for PTSD effective November 13, 2004. The veteran's claim for earlier effective date for the 100 percent total rating is also granted.

The Board has granted service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the veteran incurred these conditions during his military service.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the claim of service connection for hearing loss. However, additional development is needed regarding the underlying service connection claim.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability is not related to his active service, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred in or aggravated by active service, nor may they be presumed to have been so incurred. The preponderance of evidence indicates these conditions are unrelated to his military service.

The veteran's claim for service connection for temporomandibular joint syndrome has been reopened, but the initial rating for bilateral hearing loss remains denied.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of his bilateral hearing loss, and for obtaining relevant VA treatment records.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a current diagnosis of bilateral hearing loss or a bilateral ankle disorder, and therefore service connection for these conditions is not warranted.

The Board found that the veteran did not file a timely substantive appeal with respect to a September 1995 rating decision, and therefore denied the appeal.

The Board found that the veteran's current bilateral hearing loss did not begin during his military service and was not caused by any incident of service, thus denying his claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, which was previously denied in October 1984.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claimed bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and squamous cell skin cancer are not service-connected. The evidence does not show these conditions were present during or within one year after service, nor is there any competent medical evidence linking them to service.

The Board denied a compensable rating for the veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss, finding that his current audiometric results do not meet the criteria for a higher rating under VA's rating schedule.

The veteran's diabetes mellitus, type II, is granted as incurred in service. The claims for hearing loss and tinnitus are reopened due to new evidence received since the previous denial. The claims for residuals of low back injury, neck injury, bilateral leg disability, knee disability, and foot disabilities remain denied.

The veteran is seeking service connection for bilateral hearing loss, which he claims is related to noise exposure during his military service. The Board has decided that a VA examination and medical opinion are needed to clarify the nature and etiology of the veteran's hearing disorder.

The VA denied an increased rating for the veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss, which is currently rated at 10 percent.

The VA denied a compensable evaluation for the veteran's right ear hearing loss disability, finding that it did not meet the criteria for such an evaluation based on the audiometric results provided.