Hearing loss decisions — 2008

The veteran withdrew his appeal for an increased evaluation for bilateral tinnitus, and the Board has no jurisdiction to review this issue.

The Board denied service connection for chronic otitis media, mastoiditis, and cholesteatoma, hearing loss, and tinnitus as the evidence did not demonstrate that these conditions were incurred in or aggravated by active service.

The veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus and left ear hearing loss were granted, while the applications to reopen claims for a cervical spine disorder, CTS with numbness in the arms, muscle pain in the legs, double vision, and an eye disorder were denied. The claim for increased rating for post-concussion syndrome was denied.

The veteran was denied an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, as the claims were not properly filed within one year of the June 1987 denial.

The Board granted a 20 percent rating for the orthopedic manifestations of the service-connected degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine and right knee disability, but denied increased ratings for other conditions.

The veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss does not warrant a compensable rating based on the results of recent audiometric examinations.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss as it was not related to the veteran's period of honorable active service.

The veteran's claims for an increased rating for post-traumatic stress disorder, a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss, and service connection for chloracne were denied.

The appeal is remanded to the RO for proper VCAA notice and to obtain additional VA medical records.

The Board denied service connection for a left foot disability, and found that new and material evidence was not submitted to reopen claims for headaches, sleep disorder, psychiatric disability, and right ear hearing loss.

The veteran's bilateral hearing loss was not incurred in or aggravated by service.

The Board found that the reduction from 80 percent to 40 percent in the rating for hearing loss was proper, and denied separate ratings for tinnitus.

The veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) was remanded to schedule the veteran for a VA examination to determine whether his service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The veteran's claim for a compensable evaluation for bilateral hearing loss was denied, and the claims for service connection for ulcer disease and lung disease were remanded for further examination.

The Board reopened the claim for service connection for bilateral tarsal tunnel syndrome based on new and material evidence, but dismissed appeals for service connection for a neck disorder, left shoulder pain, and hearing loss.

The claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and post-traumatic stress disorder are remanded for further development.

The appeal is remanded to the RO for further development of evidence, including obtaining additional medical records and scheduling a VA examination.

The Board remands the issue of entitlement to service connection for tinnitus for further development, as there is insufficient evidence to make a decision on the claim.

The veteran withdrew his appeal for service connection for prostate cancer, and the claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were denied due to a lack of evidence linking these conditions to service.

The veteran's PTSD symptoms are not productive of occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity, and thus a rating in excess of 30 percent is denied.