Hearing loss decisions — 2009

The Board has determined that the Veteran's cold weather injuries of the right and left lower extremities, as well as his bilateral feet paresthesias, are service-connected. However, there is no evidence to support a finding of current hearing loss or tinnitus, thus denying those claims.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for nerve deafness (also claimed as bilateral hearing loss) and tinnitus, finding no new and material evidence to reopen the claim for nerve deafness and concluding that there is no link between current tinnitus and service.

The Veteran's hearing loss has been rated as noncompensable throughout the appeal period, and no higher rating is warranted.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for his service-connected left ear hearing loss, finding that the evidence does not meet the criteria for a higher evaluation.

The Board has found that the Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus are service-connected, with a presumption of soundness at entry into service.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are found to be related to his active duty service. The Veteran does not have a current thyroid disability for purposes of service connection.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, bilateral tinnitus, hypertension (HTN), a heart disorder, and PTSD have been denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of service connection for any of these conditions.

The Veteran's hearing loss has been evaluated as Level II in both ears, resulting in a noncompensable rating. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a compensable disability rating.

The Veteran is service-connected for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, rated at 60% and 10%, respectively. The Board finds that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, warranting a TDIU.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss was denied as his hearing loss is not related to his period of active service, including in-service noise exposure. The RO found that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for presumptive service connection due to noise exposure or any other basis.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to issues related to his service-connected conditions and the award of special monthly compensation. The case will be returned to the RO for further development, including readjudication and issuance of a statement of the case.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been presented to reopen the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus. The claims are now being reviewed on their merits.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn, and the case is dismissed.

The Veteran's hearing loss was not incurred or aggravated during active service, and the Board finds that it is unrelated to his military service.

The Board has determined that the issues are more accurately characterized as stated on the cover page of this Remand. The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased rating have been remanded due to need for additional examinations.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current hearing loss disability and tinnitus, and there is no evidence of in-service noise exposure or injury. As such, service connection for these conditions cannot be established.

The Veteran's claim for service connection of Meniere's disease has been denied. The issue of entitlement to an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for residual imbalance status-post right ear tympanotomy with labyrinthotomy and dexamethosone perfusion, and transcanal underlay tympanoplasty remains pending as the Veteran was granted a 10% evaluation effective the day following separation from service. The claims for service connection of left ear hearing loss and tinnitus are still pending.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including VA audiology and ENT examinations to determine the nature and etiology of his alleged bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining updated VA treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to assess his employability due to service-connected disabilities. The issue of service connection for headaches will also be addressed in the remand portion.

The Veteran's respiratory disability to include COPD and reactive airway disease is related to service. The left knee disability, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus are not shown to be related to service.