Hearing loss decisions — 2007

The veteran's claim for a higher rating for his bilateral hearing loss has been denied by the RO. The Board finds that further development is needed to ensure an accurate evaluation of his current condition.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence was not received to reopen the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, broken ribs on the right side, and heat stroke. The appellant's claim remains denied.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for a videoconference hearing before the Board of Veterans' Appeals. The issues include service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, and degenerative joint disease of the right knee, as well as reopening a claim for degenerative joint disease of the left thumb.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have current diagnoses of bilateral hearing loss or tinnitus, and thus cannot establish service connection for these conditions.

The Board has denied the veteran's request to reopen his claim of entitlement to service connection for left ear hearing loss disability, finding that new and material evidence was not submitted.

The Board denied service connection for residuals of injuries to the knees in September 2004. The veteran presented new evidence, but it did not relate to an unestablished fact necessary to substantiate the claim.,The VA found that the veteran's hearing loss does not meet criteria for a higher than 10 percent rating.

The VA has determined that the veteran's right ear hearing loss does not warrant a compensable rating, as his current puretone threshold average is 33 decibels and speech recognition ability is 92 percent. The noncompensable rating remains unchanged since November 19, 2002.

The veteran's combined disability rating of 70 percent was upheld prior to October 1, 2005.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that new evidence did not warrant reopening of the claim for hearing loss and that there was no medical evidence linking tinnitus to service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and VA treatment records from the Sierra Nevada healthcare system. The veteran is also to be examined for hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Board has determined that the veteran's diabetes mellitus, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus do not meet the criteria for an increased disability rating or service connection. The current manifestations of these conditions are not severe enough to warrant a higher rating.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss and eczema/eeczematoid dermatitis do not warrant a compensable rating under the applicable VA rating criteria.

The veteran's tinnitus had its onset during service and the Board granted service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss does not warrant an initial compensable evaluation, as it only meets criteria for a zero percent rating.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss does not meet or exceed the criteria for a rating in excess of 10 percent, and thus denied his claim.

The veteran withdrew his claims for hepatitis C and bilateral hearing loss before the Board could make a decision.

The VA determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss was not incurred in or aggravated by active service and denied his claim.

The VA determined that the veteran's current bilateral hearing loss was not incurred in service, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for further evaluation of her bilateral hearing loss due to the increase in severity since her last examination.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss and Eustachian tube dysfunction do not meet or approximate the criteria for a compensable rating under applicable VA regulations.