Hearing loss decisions — 2006

The Board has determined that the veteran's residuals of a stapedectomy warrant a 60 percent disability rating, effective from the date of the November 2002 decision.

The veteran's bilateral hearing loss is manifested by hearing at level VII in the left ear and at level VIII in the right ear, warranting a 40 percent rating. The veteran was previously rated at 30 percent for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and his request to reopen a previously denied claim. The decision also dismissed his appeal regarding the April 15, 2003 rating decision that failed to grant separate 10 percent evaluations for tinnitus.

The veteran withdrew his appeal before the Board could make a decision, thus the case is dismissed.

The Board found no evidence of a hearing disability in service and denied the appellant's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, concluding that these conditions are not related to her military service.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have service connection for right ear hearing loss and denied his claim. The evidence did not establish a link between the current right ear hearing loss disability and service.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including a review by a VA examiner to determine if current right ear hearing loss is related to service. The claim for left ear hearing loss will be deferred until after this development.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss warrants a 30 percent disability evaluation, as his puretone thresholds and speech discrimination scores do not meet criteria for higher ratings.

The veteran's claim for service connection for dizziness as being proximately due to his service-connected bilateral sensorineural hearing loss is remanded. The claim for an initial compensable rating prior to November 4, 2002 and a rating in excess of 20 percent from November 4, 2002 for the service connected bilateral hearing loss is also remanded.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is related to noise exposure during military service and grants service connection for this condition. However, the claim for tinnitus was denied as there is no evidence linking it to active service.

The Board found no competent medical evidence of current hearing loss and tinnitus, thus denying the veteran's claims for service connection.

The Board found that the veteran's hearing loss and psychiatric condition were not incurred in service, as there was no evidence of a current disability related to service. The PTSD claim was also denied due to lack of verified stressors.

The veteran's appeal for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss is being remanded to the RO for scheduling a Travel Board Hearing. The case will be returned to the Board after further development.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of service connection for right ear hearing loss and left ear hearing loss, as well as other conditions. The decision also noted that there was no significant progression in his hearing loss during service.

The Board found that the veteran did not have a current hearing loss disability and denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the veteran's claim for service connection for chronic otitis media and hearing loss. Service connection is granted for these conditions.

The Board has determined that additional development is necessary for both the PTSD and residuals of ruptured eardrums claims, including providing notice under 38 C.F.R. § 3.304(f)(3) regarding personal assault allegations for PTSD, obtaining VA outpatient treatment records, scheduling a VA examination to determine if current ear disorders are related to military service, and readjudicating the issues.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for hernia strain and bilateral hearing loss, finding that new evidence did not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claims and that there was no competent medical evidence linking current disabilities to service.

The veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is being remanded due to missing service medical records and the need for a VA examination.

The Board has decided to remand the veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to incomplete medical records and a need for further examination. The case will be returned to the RO for additional development.