Hearing loss decisions — 2009

The Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss was not incurred in or aggravated by active service and may not be presumed to have been incurred in service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus, finding that new and material evidence had not been presented to reopen these claims. The claim for bilateral hearing loss was based on a preexisting condition that worsened during service, but no such evidence has been provided since the last final denial in 2002. For tinnitus, the Board found that there is no competent medical evidence linking the current disability to service.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and remanded it for further development.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for hearing loss and tinnitus due to incomplete notice under the VCAA, need for additional VA treatment records from the VA CBOC in Mt. Vernon, Missouri, and other relevant medical records.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there is no evidence of current disabilities or a nexus to service.

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

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss does not warrant a rating higher than 30 percent, and his residuals of a fracture of the right 4th metacarpal bone with deformity do not meet the criteria for a separate compensable evaluation. The appeal is therefore denied.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable evaluation for bilateral hearing loss was denied by the Board, as his current hearing acuity levels do not meet the criteria for a compensable rating under VA disability compensation regulations.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred in or aggravated by active military service, and therefore denied his claims for service connection.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss with left otitis externa is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination.

The Veteran seeks service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The appeal is currently remanded due to incomplete records from the TSA and a need for additional development, including possibly a VA examination.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and an upper torso injury were denied as there is no evidence of a current disability in either case.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are attributable to his active military service, resolving all reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Board has granted service connection for left ear hearing loss and found that the Veteran's current left ear hearing disability is related to his in-service noise exposure. However, there is no compensable rating assigned as the audiometric evaluations show Level I right ear hearing impairment at all times during the course of the appeal.

The Board has granted service connection for a low back disability. The Veteran's other claims of entitlement to service connection for various disabilities are addressed in the REMAND portion of this decision.

The Veteran's service connection claims for hearing loss, tinnitus, and migraine headaches have been granted. The initial rating for migraine headaches remains at noncompensable (0 percent).

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeals for the issues of entitlement to a compensable initial rating for erectile dysfunction, service connection for hypoglycemia, and service connection for costochondritis. As such, these issues are dismissed.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to service, but his ear disease (claimed as ear infections) is not supported by evidence of a chronic condition. The low back disorder was also not shown to be related to service.

The Veteran's service-connected hysterical neurosis (conversion type) with complaints of right ear hearing loss is rated at 10 percent since August 9, 2005. The residuals of a fractured mandible are not shown to warrant an increased rating.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have a current hearing loss disability and there is no evidence of in-service noise exposure or other causative factors. Therefore, service connection for bilateral hearing loss was denied.