Hearing loss decisions — 2009

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is related to his active service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus were denied. The claim for increased rating for low back disability was denied, but the claim for increased rating for left knee disability from July 1, 2008 to May 7, 2007 was granted with a 20% rating. The Veteran's claim for compensable rating for sinusitis with rhinitis was denied. The TDIU claim is referred to the RO.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete evidence and need for further examination.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, while disabling, do not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss manifested during his military service and grants entitlement to service connection for this condition.

The Board has found that service connection is granted for hearing loss in the right ear and tinnitus, but denied for hearing loss in the left ear.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for right and left ear hearing loss, finding that new evidence did not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating his claim. The Board also found that current bilateral hearing loss was not related to military noise exposure.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for a new VA audiometric examination and interpretation of his February 2009 private hearing exam results. The Veteran was previously service-connected for bilateral hearing loss, but now seeks an initial compensable rating.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is not related to his military service, as there was no evidence of hearing loss during or within one year after service. The Board also noted inconsistencies in the medical opinions provided.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, recurrent tinnitus, and residuals of nasal surgery (claimed as sleep apnea) due to a lack of evidence linking these conditions to his active military service.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims due to inadequate VCAA notice and procedural errors.

The Veteran's initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss was granted, and a staged rating in excess of 20 percent is denied as of January 29, 2008.

The Board found no current hearing loss disability in either ear and denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss. For tinnitus, the Board concluded that it was not incurred or aggravated by active service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to active service, as his right ear hearing loss pre-existed service and is not aggravated by in-service noise exposure. The left ear hearing loss does not meet VA compensation criteria.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus and an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there was no evidence of in-service injury or disease leading to these conditions. The claim for increase in hearing loss also failed as the current disability did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The Veteran's left ear hearing loss is currently rated as noncompensable, with an average puretone threshold of 35 dB and a speech recognition score of 96%. The Veteran does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.,Service connection for residuals of a left eye injury was denied. The Board found that there is no evidence of chronicity in service or continuity of symptomatology since discharge, and the current diagnosis of refractive error, presbyopia, cataracts (not visually significant), and suspected glaucoma does not support a finding of causation with active service.

The Veteran's appeal was denied for all issues except gout, which received a 20% disability rating. The remaining conditions were either not granted or had their ratings denied.

The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected back disability is denied.,New and material evidence has been received to reopen the Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss, and by itself or when considered with previous evidence of record, relates to an unestablished fact necessary to substantiate the claim. Service connection for bilateral hearing loss is granted.,The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral tinnitus is granted.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional evidentiary and procedural development, including scheduling a Travel Board hearing.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development and examination.