Hearing loss decisions — 2009

The Board has dismissed the appeal for service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to withdrawal by the appellant. The Veteran's PTSD is evaluated at a 30 percent rating, and the Board finds that an evaluation in excess of 30 percent is not warranted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current disability of bilateral hearing loss or tinnitus related to his active service. The preponderance of evidence is against the claims.

The Board found that the Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss has not demonstrated exceptional patterns of hearing impairment, and thus did not meet the criteria for a rating in excess of 30 percent.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss and diabetes mellitus, type II were denied. The claim for an earlier effective date for service connection for diabetes mellitus, type II was also denied.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have a bilateral hearing loss disability under VA standards and denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional VCAA notice and another VA examination.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including a VA examination to assess the nature and etiology of his claimed bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for a videoconference hearing before the Board.

The Board has determined that an earlier effective date for the award of service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied as there was no informal claim or intent to file a claim prior to June 6, 2006.

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

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are being remanded due to the need for further examination and consideration of additional evidence.

The Board found that the Veteran's current hearing loss does not meet the criteria for a disability as defined by VA regulations, and thus denied his claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed as he withdrew his appeal for a disability rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD.

The Board denied service connection for hearing loss in the right ear, concluding that there was no evidence of a nexus between the Veteran's military service and his current condition.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability and back disorder were not incurred in or aggravated by service, and are not attributable to any incident of service. The evidence does not support a finding of direct service connection for these conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for Grave's disease and for increased disability ratings for his service-connected degenerative joint disease of the right hip and low back pain with retrolisthesis at L5-S1. The claim for service connection for Grave's disease was previously denied in 1995, but new evidence submitted since then did not relate to a fact not previously established that is necessary to substantiate the claim.

The Veteran's initial claim for a compensable evaluation for bilateral hearing loss was denied by the RO, and the Board concurs with this decision based on the audiometric results provided.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral mixed hearing loss was not shown to warrant a compensable rating, as it did not meet the criteria for any higher evaluation based on auditory acuity or speech discrimination.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and readjudication of all issues on appeal, including service connection claims and a claim for an increased rating for PTSD.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hearing loss of the left ear is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including a VA examination.