Hearing loss decisions — 2005

The VA denied an initial compensable rating for the veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for right ear hearing loss and tinnitus, finding no new and material evidence to reopen the claim for hearing loss and concluding that both conditions were not related to military service.

The veteran's appeal for service connection for bilateral hearing loss has been dismissed due to his death during the pendency of the appeal.

The Board has decided that further development is required before the claim for service connection for hearing loss of the right ear can be adjudicated. The case is being remanded to the RO via the Appeals Management Center (AMC) in Washington, DC.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim for service connection of bilateral hearing loss, but remanded his claims for increased ratings for tinnitus and PTSD.

The Board denied the veteran's claim to reopen his service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that no new and material evidence had been presented.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151, finding that there was no evidence showing VA negligence caused or aggravated his left ear hearing loss, vertigo, and tinnitus.

The veteran is seeking service connection for various disabilities he claims are related to his active military service, including radiation therapy for Hodgkin's disease. The appeal involves issues regarding the reopening of a claim and the establishment of service connection.

The Board denied service connection for a back disorder, residuals of a rhinoplasty to correct sleep apnea, and left ear hearing loss. The veteran's current status regarding these conditions is not addressed in this decision.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical opinion regarding the etiology of the veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. The RO/AMC will need to obtain a new VA audiological evaluation and provide an addendum with opinions on the likely cause of these conditions.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claimed disabilities, including residuals of bilateral knee injuries, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus, are not service-connected.

The Board has determined that the veteran's low back disorder and right ear hearing loss are not related to service, and thus denied his claims for service connection.

The veteran seeks service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, which he contends was incurred as a result of inservice noise exposure. The case is remanded to the AMC for further development including a VA audiological examination.

The veteran's claims of service connection for a chronic kidney disorder, bilateral hearing loss disability, and asbestosis are being remanded due to incomplete records. The VA will request copies of his service medical records and any relevant treatment records from the West Palm Beach VA Medical Center. A VA examination is also needed to determine the nature and severity of his bilateral hearing loss disability.

The Board has denied the veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 70 percent for his service-connected PTSD, finding that it is productive of occupational and social impairment with deficiencies in most areas such as work, school, family relations, judgment, thinking, or mood. The veteran's chronic bilateral hearing loss disability was granted based on its etiology related to inservice noise exposure.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient medical evidence regarding the etiology of the veteran's left ear hearing loss. The veteran is required to undergo a VA examination to determine if there is a relationship between his service and current hearing loss.

The veteran is seeking service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, which he claims are related to his military service. However, the VA has ordered a remand due to incomplete audiometric findings and lack of evidence regarding exposure to acoustic trauma in service.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and assigned a 10% rating for bilateral hearing loss, but denied an increased rating.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss and service connection for bilateral knee degenerative joint disease. The decision found no evidence of a nexus between the current disabilities and military service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss is due to disease or injury incurred in service, and thus grants service connection for this condition. The claim for tinnitus remains pending as it was not addressed under the 'direct' theory of service connection.