Hearing loss decisions — 2007

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the veteran's current conditions are at least as likely as not related to in-service noise exposure. The claims for cold injury residuals of the left shoulder and right hand, heart disability, and head injury (now claimed as scars resulting from shell fragment wounds) have been remanded due to incomplete medical records.

The veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability was granted with an effective date of January 26, 1998.,The veteran's claim for service connection for hepatitis C was denied as there is no evidence of a prior claim filed before December 11, 2001.

The veteran's bilateral hearing loss is rated at 70 percent effective February 28, 2007. The Board also found that the veteran is not unemployable due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are service-connected, with all reasonable doubt resolved in favor of the veteran.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining missing VA medical records and scheduling C&P examinations to address the veteran's hip, leg, eye, ear, and skin conditions.

The veteran's pre-service hearing loss increased in severity during service, and the Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disability (claimed as PTSD) due to a lack of current disability meeting VA criteria. The evidence does not establish that these conditions are related to service.

The veteran's prostatitis is rated at 60 percent, effective from the date of his TURP in 1993. His bilateral hearing loss is rated at 40 percent since July 29, 2004.

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

The veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain relevant records from the Social Security Administration (SSA) for further development.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral plantar warts in January 1981. The veteran's petition to reopen the claims for low back disorder, bilateral hearing loss, hemorrhoids, and anxiety and depression was denied by the RO in August 2001. The RO found that new and material evidence had not been received to reopen these matters. The Board is considering all issues on a de novo basis as the previous decisions are final.

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

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss and residuals of a left foot injury, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on current disability levels.

The veteran's claims for service connection for thoracic myofascitis, cognitive disorder due to closed head injury, and radiculopathy secondary to lumbar spine pathology have been granted. The claims for bilateral hearing loss, degenerative joint disease of the knees, hypertension, fibromyalgia and/or chronic pain syndrome, hepatitis C, and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) remain pending.

The veteran's service connection for left ear hearing loss is granted. The case is REMANDED to obtain additional medical records and examinations for the issues of sleep apnea syndrome and myopia, presbyopia, and mild convergence insufficiency.

The veteran's appeal has been withdrawn by his representative, and as such, the Board does not have jurisdiction to proceed with the decision.

The veteran is seeking service connection for bilateral hearing loss, which he claims was caused by a training accident during World War II. The case has been remanded to the RO for further examination and re-adjudication.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for further examination and review of his claims, including a new audiometric study and an evaluation to determine the nature and etiology of any chronic disorder related to vertigo.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for reopening his service connection claim for bilateral hearing loss and for an increased rating for a fungus infection of the left ear, finding that new and material evidence had not been submitted to reopen either claim.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for right ear hearing loss prior to February 8, 2001 and subsequent to that date. The claim for service connection for a mental disorder as secondary to his service-connected bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus was also denied.