Hearing loss decisions — 2004

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss does not warrant a compensable rating, as his level of hearing acuity is only at Level I in each ear.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding it related to combat noise exposure during service. Service connection for otitis media is denied as there is no current evidence of the condition.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension, arthritis, and hearing loss as there was no evidence of these conditions during or within one year after service.

The Board has granted an initial disability rating of 10 percent for the veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss, which is currently rated as 10 percent disabling.

The Board has remanded the case for further development regarding service connection for bilateral hearing loss and right knee disability.

The Board has granted the veteran's motion to advance his appeal and found that he currently has bilateral hearing loss etiologically linked to his service. The issue of recognizing L. W. as a helpless child is remanded for further development.

The Board has remanded the case to the RO for readjudication due to a significant change in the law with the Veterans Claims Assistance Act of 2000 (VCAA). The veteran's claim for an effective date earlier than August 19, 1993, for service connection for tinnitus and for a compensable rating for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss is now pending.

The veteran seeks service connection for PTSD and a compensable evaluation for hearing loss. The case is being remanded to the RO for additional development, including contacting military records and scheduling an examination.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have chronic residuals of a left knee injury, low back injury, bilateral hearing loss, or left ankle injury as claimed. The claims are denied.

The Board has determined that the appellant's service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and thus grants a total disability rating for compensation purposes based on individual unemployability.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, degenerative arthritis of the knees and ankles, sleep apnea, and dysthymic disorder (chronic depression) due to exposure in the Persian Gulf War. The veteran's conditions are presumed to be related to his military service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's hearing loss and degenerative changes of the lumbar spine are not related to service, thus denying his claims for service connection.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional evidence, including a VA examination and consideration of new private medical reports.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability is related to noise exposure during service, warranting service connection.

The veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were granted. He was also granted initial evaluations of 10 percent for Type II diabetes mellitus, peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity, and peripheral neuropathy of the left lower extremity, effective from January 4, 2001 (diabetes mellitus) and October 23, 2001 (peripheral neuropathy of each lower extremity), respectively. The veteran's claim for a TDIU was denied.

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

The Board found that the veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability did not meet VA compensation criteria and denied his claim for service connection. The Board also noted that he had heel contusions in service but no evidence of a current heel disability, and back strain in service with no current back disability.

The Board found no evidence linking the veteran's current conditions to his military service, and thus denied all three issues of service connection.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of service connection for hearing loss, right knee disorder, left arm disorder, and left shoulder disorder. The decision also noted that a claim of entitlement to service connection for tinnitus was remanded.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for hearing loss in his left ear and tinnitus, but granted a higher rating of 40% for gouty arthritis. The claim for service connection for hypertension was not reopened.