Hearing loss decisions — 2009

The Board found no evidence of a nexus between the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus and his military service, including exposure to noise. The claims for service connection were denied.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension as secondary to PTSD, bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus related to noise trauma in service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied due to lack of evidence showing a current disability and no causal link between the claimed conditions and his military service. The claim for right ear hearing loss was also denied as there is no evidence that the condition occurred in or was caused by his service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for financial assistance for the purchase of an automobile and adaptive equipment or adaptive equipment only.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred or aggravated by his period of military service. The claims are therefore denied.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been granted.

The Board granted service connection for PTSD and assigned a 10 percent rating effective March 16, 2004. The Veteran's appeal was withdrawn as to the issue of service connection for basal cell carcinoma to include as secondary to herbicide exposure. A compensable rating for right ear hearing loss was denied. The claim for reopening the IBS service connection was not addressed in this decision.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for right leg and neck shrapnel wounds, hearing loss, and tinnitus are denied as there is no credible evidence of in-service injury or exposure to noise that could have caused these conditions. The Veteran did not serve in Korea and has not received the Purple Heart.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development of his claim, including obtaining medical records and ensuring all relevant information is considered.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection for bilateral hearing loss cannot be granted as there is no evidence of a formal or informal claim filed prior to October 4, 2004.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions have been evaluated, and the Board has determined that a higher disability rating is not warranted for any of his claims.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's currently shown bilateral hearing loss is related to his in-service acoustic trauma and decrease in hearing acuity, resulting in service connection for this condition.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have a current hearing loss disability and tinnitus was not incurred in or related to service. Therefore, service connection for both conditions is denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right ear hearing loss is not related to his active duty service, but his tinnitus is related to his service. As such, service connection is granted for tinnitus.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to his failure to report for a scheduled hearing. He requested rescheduling due to health issues.

The Board has remanded the case due to missing service records and the need for further examination regarding the Veteran's flat feet and left ear hearing loss.

The Board has determined that additional evidentiary development is necessary prior to the adjudication of the appellant's claim for an increased disability evaluation for degenerative disc disease (DDD) of the lumbar spine. The case is REMANDED for further action.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including scheduling a VA audiology examination to determine if the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his period of active service.

The Veteran's claims for increased disability ratings for diabetes mellitus, traumatic arthritis of the left knee, and bilateral hearing loss are being remanded due to the need for additional VA examinations and evidence collection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hearing loss in his left ear does not meet the regulatory threshold to be considered a compensable disability, and therefore service connection is denied.