Hearing loss decisions — 2008

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss warrants a 20 percent evaluation, effective from August 2, 2007.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional audiometric testing and a new examination of the veteran's left ear hearing loss.

The Board has decided to remand the case for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling an ENT examination.

The Board has remanded the case for a VA medical examination to determine if the veteran's service-connected disabilities, bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, prevent him from securing or following substantially gainful employment. The RO will then readjudicate the issue.

The veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tonsillectomy do not meet the criteria for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability as his service-connected disabilities are rated at 70 percent combined, which meets the percentage requirements. The VA examiner found that the veteran's employability was limited due to severe heart problems rather than hearing loss.

The Board determined that the veteran's hearing loss did not exist prior to service and was not aggravated by active service, thus denying his claims for service connection.

The veteran's bilateral hearing loss was initially rated as noncompensably disabling and increased to a 10 percent rating effective January 23, 2008. The current evaluation is higher than the initial one assigned in December 2003.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have hearing loss disability for VA compensation purposes and therefore, service connection is denied.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, a shrapnel wound to his right hand, and hypertension. The evidence did not support these claims.

The veteran's appeal has been withdrawn before any decision was made by the Board.

The Board found no evidence of left ear hearing loss or tinnitus in service, and the medical evidence does not support a connection to service. The veteran's current conditions are attributed to private medical interventions rather than military noise exposure.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there is no evidence of in-service hearing loss or tinnitus, nor any nexus between current disabilities and service.

The Board has found that service connection for tinnitus is warranted. The case is being remanded to determine the current severity of the veteran's bilateral hearing loss.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there was no evidence of a current disability or a link to service.

The RO has granted service connection for hearing loss of the left ear with a non-compensable evaluation and denied claims for hearing loss of the right ear, tinnitus, and COPD. The veteran is requested to schedule a videoconference hearing.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability is related to service exposure to noise, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a hearing loss disability for VA compensation purposes and his tinnitus was not shown in service or related to noise exposure. Therefore, the claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss, finding that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a compensable disability rating.

The veteran is seeking service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The VA examiner's opinion was inadequate as it did not consider the veteran's entire record of active service, including his time in Guam where he may have been exposed to acoustic trauma. Further examination and review are required.

The Board found that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred in service, as there was no evidence of hearing loss or tinnitus during service. The VA examination reports did not support a finding of current hearing loss or tinnitus attributable to service. Therefore, the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were denied.