Hearing loss decisions — 2009

The Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus are being remanded for further development, including a VA examination to determine if these conditions are related to service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to the need to obtain medical records from a private clinician.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently evaluated as 20 percent disabling. The Board finds that the evidence does not support a higher rating at any point during the appeal period.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the Veteran's claim of service connection for hearing loss. However, the Veteran does not have a compensable level of hearing loss in his right ear as defined by VA regulations, and there is no medical opinion associating his current hearing loss with his active military service.

The Board has requested additional evidence from the Veteran to support his claims for service connection for bilateral sensorineural hearing loss and tinnitus. The case is being remanded for further development.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his active military service, as there is no evidence of a disease or injury in service and no continuity of symptomatology. The VA examinations did not find any current hearing disorders.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is granted.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss did not have its onset in service, was not manifest to a compensable degree within one year after service, and is not attributable to service. Therefore, service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his active service, while COPD and heart disease were not incurred or aggravated during service. The claim for service connection for COPD and heart disease is denied.

The Board found that the Veteran's left ear hearing loss is not etiologically related to his in-service noise exposure or anything else in service, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's hearing loss is manifested by no more than level II hearing impairment in the right or left ear, resulting in a noncompensable disability evaluation. The Veteran's arteriosclerotic heart disease was evaluated as 10 percent disabling based on his VA examination conducted in April 2006.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and a rating in excess of 10 percent for his right knee disability. The claim for diabetes mellitus was referred to the RO.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and initial compensable disability ratings for his left knee disorder, rhinitis, and GERD were granted. He is currently assigned a noncompensable (0%) rating for each of these conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his active duty service.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss, finding that there is no evidence of a nexus between these conditions and his active service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his active military service, including exposure to loud noise during combat. As such, these conditions have been granted service connection.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining a medical opinion regarding the etiology of his current disabilities.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus did not manifest in service or within one year thereafter, and there is no evidence of a causal relationship between these conditions and his military service. Therefore, service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus was denied.

The Board has determined that the VA examination and private opinion are inadequate, and a remand is necessary to determine the etiology of the Veteran's current hearing loss.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for right knee disability, tinnitus, and bilateral hearing loss have been denied as the maximum schedular rating of 10 percent is already assigned for each condition.