Hearing loss decisions — 2008

The Board denied the veteran's claims for a total rating for compensation based on individual unemployability and failed to restore service connection for dyshidrotic eczema.

The Board has ordered a remand due to the need for another VA audiological examination, as the current examiner's opinion is inadequate and did not consider whether left ear hearing loss was aggravated by service.

The Board has granted service connection for diabetes mellitus. The appeals seeking service connection for low back and vision problems (claimed as glaucoma) are dismissed due to the veteran's withdrawal of her appeals at a July 2008 hearing.

The Board found that there is no competent evidence of current residuals of a left ear infection. The VA examiner opined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not due to noise exposure in service.

The veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and a right knee disorder are being remanded for further development, including VA examinations to determine the nature and etiology of these conditions.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a current hearing disorder for VA purposes and therefore, service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied. For the inguinal hernia claim, the evidence did not show a compensable rating.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his military service, and thus denied both claims.

The Board has decided to remand the case for further examination and opinion regarding service connection for lumbar spine injury, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus.

The veteran's bilateral hearing loss is manifested by pure tone threshold averages and speech recognition scores that correspond to level 'II' hearing on the right and level 'III' hearing on the left. The Board finds that the evidence of record preponderates against an initial compensable rating for the veteran's bilateral hearing loss.

The veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development to determine if he requires aid and attendance or is housebound due to his service-connected disabilities, including bilateral hearing loss, post-traumatic stress disorder, and bilateral tinnitus.

The Board has determined that the veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his military service, as there is no evidence of in-service injury or noise exposure. The VA examiner concluded that any current hearing loss and tinnitus were less likely due to military duty.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the current conditions are not related to service.

The Board finds that the veteran's current hearing loss is not related to service and denies his claim for service connection.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities have been rated as 100 percent disabling in combination, including post-traumatic stress disorder, low back disorder, and diabetes mellitus. The VA examiner concluded that the veteran's impairment from diabetic neuropathy effectively renders him without the use of his lower extremities, necessitating the use of a wheelchair for locomotion.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, low back disability as secondary to left knee Osgood-Schlatter's disease, and right knee disability. The evidence did not establish a chronic condition in service or within one year of separation.

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

The veteran was granted an initial rating of 10 percent for hearing loss from December 20, 2005. Prior to this date, he did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.

The VA determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss does not warrant a compensable evaluation, as his current audiometric results do not meet the criteria for any higher rating under the applicable disability rating schedule.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining service medical records and scheduling VA examinations.

The Board found no evidence of a middle ear disorder in service or for many years after separation, and the veteran's current middle ear disorder is not related to active duty. For his bilateral hearing loss, the Board noted that the puretone thresholds were within normal limits but speech recognition was below average, resulting in a noncompensable rating.