Hearing loss decisions — 2007

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the veteran's claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The case is being remanded to obtain additional medical records, provide proper VCAA notice, and schedule a VA examination to determine the etiology of the veteran's tinnitus.

The Board finds that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss is related to military service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that the RO improperly reduced the evaluation of the veteran's bilateral high-frequency hearing loss from 100 to 20 percent, and restored the 100 percent evaluation effective December 1, 2002.

The Board is denying the veteran's claims for service connection due to lack of evidence showing current disabilities or a relationship between his service and any claimed conditions.

The veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and skin rash - tinea versicolor were denied. The claim for skin rash - tinea pedis and onychomycosis was granted based on evidence of current disability related to military service.

The veteran's claims for PTSD, depression, bilateral hearing loss, left knee injury, prostatitis, and right shoulder fracture were denied on the merits. The claim for a compensable evaluation for service-connected hemorrhoids was not addressed in this decision.

The veteran seeks service connection for bilateral hearing loss, which he claims was caused by noise exposure during his military service. The case is being remanded to obtain further information about the periods of active duty and inactive duty training from 1958 to 1992 and personnel records pertaining to his military duties.

The Board found that the veteran's current shoulder and knee conditions are not related to service, but granted service connection for hearing loss disability due to noise exposure in service.

The VA has determined that the veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss does not warrant a compensable evaluation, as it only results in Level III hearing impairment in both ears.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected hearing loss in her left ear warrants a rating of 10 percent, as she does not meet the criteria for a higher rating based on the current evidence.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine the veteran's service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, including obtaining medical records and arranging for a VA examination.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss, Parkinson's Disease, peripheral neuropathy, and a skin disorder. The decision found that new evidence did not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating these claims, and that there was no medical evidence linking any of these conditions to military service or exposure to Agent Orange.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for sinusitis, rhinitis, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and sterility as secondary to radiation exposure. The evidence did not establish a current disability or link these conditions to service.

The veteran is granted a 50% evaluation for his service-connected bilateral sensorineural hearing loss. Service connection is granted for tinnitus.

The Board has determined that the veteran's tinnitus is not related to his military service and denied the claim. The hearing loss was found by a VA examiner to be more likely due to presbycusis (age-related hearing loss) rather than noise exposure in service.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have current bilateral hearing loss for VA purposes and therefore, service connection for this condition is denied.

The veteran's initial claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss prior to March 23, 2007 was denied. However, as of that date, the criteria for a 10 percent disability rating have been met.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for a VA examination to determine the current nature and likely etiology of the veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Board has granted the veteran's claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The issue of reopening his claim of peripheral neuropathy due to Agent Orange exposure is referred back to the RO.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and conducting VA examinations to determine the etiology of the veteran's claimed disabilities.