Hearing loss decisions — 2004

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development due to a request for a personal hearing.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to properly adjudicate the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.

The veteran's claims of service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including consideration of a claim regarding clear and unmistakable error in a previous rating decision.

The veteran's initial claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied as his hearing acuity did not meet the criteria for any higher rating under VA's disability evaluation schedule.

The Board denied the propriety of reducing the veteran's rating for bilateral hearing loss from 30 percent to 10 percent, effective December 1, 1998. The decision also dismissed his claim for a higher rating.

The veteran's claim for an increased rating for service-connected pulmonary tuberculosis was granted, with a current evaluation of 20 percent. The claim for hearing loss is denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. The decision found no evidence of current disabilities, and thus denied both claims.

The Board found service connection for bilateral hearing loss but remanded the claim for an initial compensable disability evaluation for right chronic maxillary sinusitis due to incomplete development of records and need for a VA examination.

The Board has remanded the veteran's claims for service connection for a bilateral knee disability and an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss due to incomplete medical records and need for further examination.

The veteran's claim for an increased evaluation for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and conducting a VA audiological examination.

The VA determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating, as his audiometric results consistently fall within normal limits with no significant impairment in either ear.

The veteran's claim for an increased evaluation for bilateral hearing loss is being remanded due to inconsistencies in the audiometric test results and the need for a new examination.

The Board has granted a compensable rating of 10 percent for atopic dermatitis and denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board found that the veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus did not develop during service, and there is no evidence linking these conditions to military noise exposure. As a result, the claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were denied.

The Board found that right ear hearing loss disability was not incurred in or aggravated by active service and could not be presumed to have been so incurred. The veteran failed to report for VA examinations scheduled to evaluate his reopened claim for service connection for hearing loss.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss and service connection for tinnitus, finding that there was no evidence of a relationship between his current symptoms and military service.

The Board found that the veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus disability was incurred in service, resolving an approximate balance of positive and negative evidence in favor of the veteran.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for higher ratings and an earlier effective date for his service connection grants of bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the criteria for such were not met as a matter of law.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded to the RO for further development and consideration of his claims, including whether new and material evidence has been received to reopen his claim of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss.

The VA determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss does not warrant a compensable evaluation.