Hearing loss decisions — 2009

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

The Board has granted service connection for left ear hearing loss by aggravation of a preexisting condition, but denied service connection for right ear hearing loss.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining Social Security Administration records and arranging for VA examinations to assess the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and low back disability.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were denied as there was no evidence of a current disability meeting VA criteria, and the claimed in-service noise exposure did not result in service connection.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for an increased evaluation for left ear hearing loss and service connection for left ear cholesteatoma with vertigo, finding that his disability did not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation.

The Board has remanded the case due to an inextricably intertwined service connection claim, and will need to adjudicate both issues before determining a priority level for VA medical care benefits.

The Board has granted service connection for left ear hearing loss, but the rating and effective date need to be determined. The compensable evaluation for right ear hearing loss remains on appeal.

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

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for a TDIU as they are not sufficiently severe to prevent him from engaging in substantially gainful employment.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD and found new and material evidence. The claims for bilateral hearing loss, respiratory disorder associated with asbestos exposure, chronic left knee disorder, and chronic right knee disorder are denied as not shown during active duty or related to service. The appeal is granted on reopening of the PTSD claim.

The Veteran's appeal has been dismissed due to his death. The claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, PTSD, and tinea pedis have not survived him.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including clarification of prior service and VA examinations to determine the nature and etiology of his claimed disabilities.

The veteran's appeal for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus has been dismissed due to his death.

The Board found that the Veteran's residuals of meningitis do not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation as there are no ascertainable residuals. The claim was denied.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and scheduling a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of any hearing loss and/or tinnitus. The Veteran's claims on appeal will be re-adjudicated after this development.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection on the merits have been dismissed due to withdrawal of his appeal.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is currently rated at 10 percent, and the evidence does not support a higher rating.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining a VA audiological examination and a copy of his October 2001 audiogram.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that it was not incurred in or aggravated by his active duty service and that there is no credible evidence associating the current disability with his military service.

The Board is remanding the case for further development to determine if the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and chronic vertigo are related to his period of service.