Hearing loss decisions — 2004

The Board has denied a rating higher than 20 percent for bilateral hearing loss prior to August 21, 2000 and a rating higher than 40 percent since that date.

The veteran's claims for hearing loss, tinnitus, and a back condition are being remanded to the RO for additional development.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to properly adjudicate the veteran's claims, including obtaining medical opinions and expanding the record with relevant treatment records.

The VA determined that the veteran's high frequency hearing loss, post-stapedectomy, does not warrant a compensable rating.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for reopening his service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss, arthritis with arthralgia and costochondritis, and malaria due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Board denied the veteran's claims regarding his right knee and hypertension, as well as whether new evidence had been submitted to reopen a claim for service connection for a bilateral shoulder disorder.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for further action, including scheduling a video hearing. The issues of entitlement to a compensable disability rating for service-connected bilateral hearing loss and entitlement to service connection for arthritis of the back as secondary to the service-connected disability of scar on the midline of the lower back are pending.

The Board has reviewed all the evidence of record and finds no evidence that the veteran currently has bilateral hearing loss, as defined by VA. Therefore, service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and a low back disability. The claim to reopen the low back disability was also denied due to lack of new and material evidence. The ratings for his right knee, left knee arthrotomy, and degenerative joint disease of the left knee were confirmed and continued at 10 percent each. His rating for residuals of a right wrist injury remains at zero percent.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim of service connection for a hearing loss disability due to new and material evidence. However, the claims for tinnitus are remanded as they were not addressed in the previous decision.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the claim for service connection for right ear hearing loss, and based on all the evidence, the veteran's current right ear hearing loss was incurred in active service.

The veteran's appeal is remanded for a Travel Board hearing due to the inaudibility of his previous hearing. No specific service connection issues are addressed as they are not part of the current appeal.

The veteran's PTSD with depression is rated at 100 percent, his loss of vision in the left eye is rated at 40 percent, and his perforated left eardrum with hearing loss is rated at zero percent.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of recurrent dislocation of the left patella, pulmonary tuberculosis, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a low back disorder, visual problems, and a disease or disorder affecting general health. The claim for bilateral hearing loss was not addressed in this decision.

The Board finds that a VA examination is needed to determine the etiology of the veteran's hearing loss and whether it is related to his military service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and a right hip disorder. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were incurred or aggravated by service.

The Board denied the veteran's applications to reopen his claims for service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus, finding no new and material evidence.

The veteran's appeal was dismissed because he died during the pendency of his appeal.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete evidence and for further development.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for a right shoulder disorder and granted service connection for several other disorders, including hearing loss, tinnitus, pneumothorax residuals, abdomen disorder, penis numbness, and skin disorder (chloracne).