Hearing loss decisions — 2007

The Board has determined that the veteran's Meniere's syndrome warrants a combined evaluation of 60 percent, which is granted.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a service-connected bilateral hearing loss, but has granted service connection for tinnitus. The decision is based on the veteran's credible testimony and exposure to acoustic trauma during military service.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete records and a need for additional development, including obtaining service medical records from the Army National Guard.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings were denied. The callus formation of the fifth metatarsal of the left foot was granted a 10% evaluation, but no other conditions received an increase in rating.

The veteran's appeal is remanded to the RO for further consideration of his claim for a total rating based upon individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities, including bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. The case will be referred to the Compensation and Pension Service for extra-schedular consideration.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding no competent evidence of current disabilities or a nexus to service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss are consistent with the circumstances, conditions, or hardships of in-service combat. Therefore, these disabilities are presumed to have been incurred in service.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings were granted, with effective dates ranging from March 18, 2003 to November 3, 2005. The veteran was awarded a 10 percent rating for each knee condition (arthritis and instability), varicose veins of the legs, and bilateral hearing loss.

The case is being remanded to the RO for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records from Maryland and New York, providing proper notice as required by Kent v. Nicholson, and readjudicating the claim.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a current bilateral hearing loss disability and therefore cannot establish service connection for this condition.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for new examinations and additional development of his claims, including service connection for tinnitus.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and acute bilateral otitis media, effective December 23, 2005. The veteran's current diagnoses are considered to be related to his military service.

The Board has determined that the appellant timely filed a Notice of Disagreement with respect to the January 2004 rating decision, and thus the appeal is granted.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The claim of service connection for tinnitus is remanded due to the need for a VA examination.

The Board found that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred or aggravated by service, nor could they be presumed to have been incurred in service. The evidence did not support a finding of service connection for these conditions.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings were denied, and his claim for a compensable evaluation for bilateral hearing loss was not addressed.

The Board has determined that additional assistance is required to comply with the Veterans Claims Assistance Act of 2000. The veteran needs VA examinations for her service-connected knee disabilities, left arm keloids, and left foot disability. She also needs an examination to determine whether she currently has a chronic throat disability or hearing loss due to service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that new and material evidence had not been submitted to reopen these claims.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for right ear hearing loss and vertigo, finding that new evidence did not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim, and that the current conditions were not incurred in or aggravated by active military service.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus as there was no evidence of current disability, and the veteran's reported noise exposure in service did not establish a nexus to his current conditions.