Hearing loss decisions — 2008

The Board has determined that the veteran does not meet the criteria for service connection for sleep apnea, asbestosis, right ear hearing loss, or either knee strain. The claims are denied.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to issues not being addressed on appeal and a lack of representation.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional medical records and to schedule VA examinations for his claimed conditions. The claims will be adjudicated again after the necessary development.

The Board has decided to remand the case for further development, including obtaining SSA records and providing proper notice regarding disability ratings and effective dates.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a current hearing loss disability as defined by VA standards, and therefore cannot establish service connection for hearing loss.

The Board has determined that the veteran's pre-existing right knee injury was aggravated by active service, and thus grants service connection for a right knee injury. The hearing loss and migraine headaches are being remanded for further development.

The veteran is seeking an increased rating for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss, which is currently rated as 10 percent disabling. The RO denied the claim and remanded it for further development.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for his low back disability, right and left foot disabilities, right and left leg disabilities, and residuals of cold injury to the upper extremities. The hearing loss claim was also denied.

The VA determined that the veteran's hearing loss did not warrant a rating higher than 20 percent prior to May 30, 2006 and denied his claim for an increased rating.

The Board has remanded the case due to a failure to ensure compliance with the terms of the April 2003 remand order. The appellant's claim for service connection for the cause of her husband's death is being reviewed by VA medical experts.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining a medical opinion on whether all service-connected disabilities combine to render the veteran unemployable. The claim will also be submitted to the Director of Compensation and Pension Service for extraschedular consideration based on a private physician's December 2007 opinion.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred in or aggravated by service, as there is no evidence of a current disability during service or any increase in severity during service. The preponderance of the evidence does not support a finding that the veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his military service.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a service-connected hearing loss disability and his right thumb injury warrants a 10% rating. The appeal is denied.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied as his conditions did not meet the criteria for higher disability evaluations or service connection.

The veteran's left fourth toe status post knuckle removal, left shoulder degenerative joint disease, and left varicocele are each rated at the minimum 10% level.,Bilateral hearing loss does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased disability ratings and service connection, finding no current residuals of a cold injury to his feet and that his DM is currently controlled with medication without requiring regulation of activities or hospitalizations.

The Board has determined that additional development is necessary to determine if the veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his military service. The case is REMANDED for further action.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss is related to his military service, while tinnitus was not incurred in or aggravated by such service.

The Board found that the veteran's current bilateral hearing loss did not begin during service and is not related to any incident of service, thus denying his claim for service connection.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and private treatment records.