Hearing loss decisions — 2009

The Veteran's hearing loss is not related to service and was denied.

The Veteran's request for a Board hearing at the RO has not been withdrawn, and he failed to appear for his scheduled personal hearing. The case is being remanded to schedule the Veteran for a Board hearing.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable evaluation for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss is being remanded for further development, including a more contemporaneous VA audiological examination and consideration of whether referral for an extra-schedular evaluation is warranted.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the claim of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is causally related to noise exposure during active military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is related to in-service noise exposure, and thus service connection for this condition is granted.

The Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to March 21, 2006 for service connection for bilateral hearing loss has been denied as there was no communication from the Veteran regarding this issue until March 21, 2006.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and anxiety disorder are being remanded due to the need for additional evidence and development.

The Veteran's initial claim for service-connected bilateral hearing loss was granted with a 40 percent disability rating effective January 19, 2006. The Veteran now seeks an increased evaluation to 70 percent from June 27, 2007.

The Veteran's hearing loss was rated at 10% from February 2005. The RO proposed reducing this to 0%, effective March 1, 2008, based on the Veteran's test results. The Board found that the reduction was proper as there is no evidence of a compensable disability.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding no evidence of a nexus between the current disabilities and active service.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient detail in a previous VA examination report, and the Veteran is required to undergo another VA examination to determine the etiology of his bilateral hearing loss.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, residuals of a tonsillectomy, and stomach disorder. The evidence presented did not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating these claims.

The Board has remanded the case to the RO for further development, including obtaining service treatment records and scheduling a VA examination. The Veteran's claims of bilateral hearing loss disability, bilateral tinnitus, and syncope (claimed as vertigo) will be considered on their merits.

The Board has determined that the appellant's current hearing loss and tinnitus disabilities are not related to service. The pre-existing left ear hearing loss was not increased in severity during service, and there is no evidence of a right ear hearing loss disability or tinnitus within one year after separation from service.

The Board has decided to remand the case for an additional VA audiological examination and opinion to evaluate the nature and etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus disabilities.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have a current hearing loss disability for VA purposes and denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to inadequate medical opinion regarding the aggravation of hearing loss during periods of federalized active duty and whether a single abnormal audiogram in 1974 constituted pre-existing hearing loss.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus is being remanded due to the unreliability of VA audiometric examination results. The Veteran will be provided another VA audiological examination.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is not related to his military service and denied his claim for service connection.