Hearing loss decisions — 2009

The appeal is remanded for a new VA examination to determine the current severity of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss.

The appeal is granted to allow a merits analysis of the Veteran's claim for service connection for hemoglobin C disease, and the case is remanded for further development.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him in need of regular aid and attendance or substantially confined to his dwelling, thus he is not entitled to special monthly compensation at the A&A or housebound rate.

The Board finds that the Veteran currently has bilateral hearing loss which was incurred during his active military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss as there was no evidence of a chronic disease in service or within one year, and the current disability was not shown to be related to any incident of service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation, and therefore he is not entitled to a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU).

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus as the evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were related to active service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, especially his PTSD, render him unable to obtain or maintain substantially gainful employment.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus, as there was no evidence of a chronic disability during service or continuity of symptomatology since discharge, and the current conditions were not related to his military service.

The Veteran's hearing loss was denied, while his coronary artery disease, including atherosclerotic heart disease, was granted as related to service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a heart disability, bilateral peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities, stroke, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus as new and material evidence was not presented to reopen the prior denials or there is no evidence linking these conditions to his active military service.

The claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss was reopened, but the Veteran's current left ear and right ear hearing loss were not related to his active duty service.

The Board has reopened the claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and PTSD, but denied service connection for degenerative joint disease of the thoracolumbar spine.

The Veteran is to be afforded VA examinations for his claimed conditions, as the evidence of record does not provide a clear rationale for the etiology of these disabilities.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and bilateral tinnitus, finding no evidence of a link between these conditions and his military service.

The Veteran's claim for a higher initial rating was denied prior to August 19, 2008, but the evaluation was increased to 10 percent disabling from that date.

The appeal for service connection for PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus is being remanded for additional development.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus as they were not attributable to the Veteran's active service.

The Board denied service connection for GERD, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus as they were not related to the Veteran's active duty or his service-connected PTSD. The Board also denied a higher rating for PTSD.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a right knee disability, a hysterectomy, left ear hearing loss, and tinnitus as there was no competent medical evidence to support a finding that any of these conditions were related to her active military service.