Hearing loss decisions — 2006

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate VCAA notice, and further development is required before a final decision can be made.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including an otolaryngologist's opinion on the etiology of the veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus.

The veteran's appeal for service connection for hearing loss has been dismissed due to the death of the appellant.

The Board found that the veteran's right ear hearing loss disability does not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation, thus denying his claim.

The Board found that the veteran's left ear hearing loss disability was not aggravated in service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for his bilateral hearing loss, finding that his service-connected hearing loss did not warrant a higher rating based on the evidence of record.

The Board has determined that the veteran's hearing loss disability does not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation under VA rating criteria, and thus denied his claim.

The Board remanded the case for further development, and after that, the AMC granted service connection for the veteran's hearing loss disability of the right ear. However, no appeal was filed.

The Board has remanded the veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to inadequate medical opinions, and requests that he provide additional information about his employment history.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including an examination to determine if the veteran's bilateral hearing loss was aggravated during his active duty service in Operation Desert Shield/Storm.

The veteran claims service connection for hearing loss disability, which was remanded due to incomplete information about his National Guard service. The case is being returned to the RO for further development.

The Board denied service connection for tinnitus and the initial noncompensable rating assigned for bilateral hearing loss. The veteran's claim for an increased evaluation remains pending.

The veteran's claims for a compensable evaluation for bilateral hearing loss, service connection for skin cancer and bladder cancer secondary to herbicide exposure were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation for his bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his military service, and therefore denied both claims.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for a current VA examination of both ears, as the veteran had a left ear stapedectomy in January 2005 and no recent audiological evaluation.

The veteran's appeal is remanded for further development, including a VA audiological examination to determine the current severity of his service-connected bilateral hearing loss disability. The case will be returned to the Board after this additional evidence has been considered.

The veteran's claim for an effective date earlier than April 11, 2001 for the grant of a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) was denied as there is no evidence supporting an earlier effective date.

The Board has restored the veteran's 80 percent disability evaluation for bilateral hearing loss and denied his claim for a separate 10 percent rating for tinnitus. The increased disability rating claim for the service-connected residuals of a gunshot wound to the right lower extremity is remanded.

The Board found that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss is not related to his service and denied his claim for service connection.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from securing and following substantially gainful employment, thus the claim for a TDIU rating is denied.