Hearing loss decisions — 2009

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including scheduling an appropriate VA examination to determine if the Veteran's current bilateral hearing impairment is related to his active military service or to his service-connected bilateral otitis externa.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss does not warrant a compensable initial disability rating.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss and sinusitis, finding that new and material evidence has been submitted. The Veteran's current hearing loss is found to be related to in-service acoustic trauma, while his current sinusitis is not linked to active duty.

The Board denied service connection for back disability, left knee disability, and bilateral hearing loss. The claim for right hand disability was not reopened.

The Board has remanded the claims for a VA examination to determine the etiology of the veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus, as well as any other relevant information in the medical records.

The Board found no evidence of in-service acoustic trauma and concluded that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is not related to his military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability is due to exposure to loud noise during service, and thus grants entitlement to service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD, along with other disabilities, has rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. The Board agrees and grants the TDIU.

The Veteran's multiple joint arthritis, excluding a back disorder, hearing loss, eye disorder, heart disorder (including hypertension), and testicular disorder were not incurred or aggravated by service. The Board found no evidence linking these conditions to military service.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to new evidence received since the last statements of the case.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have current diagnoses for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, chronic headaches, hypertension, or a dental disorder. Therefore, service connection is denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including new VA examinations and a supplemental statement of the case.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's audiometric test results throughout the appeal period corresponded to numeric designations no worse than Level V for the right ear and Level I for the left ear, resulting in a noncompensable disability rating for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss warrants a noncompensable disability rating prior to April 17, 2009 and a compensable disability rating of 10% effective from April 17, 2009.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss was denied as there is no evidence of a current disability, and the Board found that his hearing loss is not related to his military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is causally related to noise exposure during active military service, and therefore grants entitlement to service connection for tinnitus. The claim for bilateral hearing loss remains pending as it was not addressed in this decision.

For the period from March 11, 2004 through May 20, 2007, the Veteran's right eye corneal scar with foreign body removal and corneal erosion syndrome was manifested by no worse than corrected distant vision of 20/40.,Since May 21, 2007, the Veteran's right eye corneal scar with foreign body removal and corneal erosion syndrome has been manifested by active pathology.

The Veteran's service connection claims for PTSD, bilateral peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities, bilateral hearing loss, and bilateral tinnitus have been denied as there is no evidence linking these conditions to his active military service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for a travel board hearing due to his failure to report at the scheduled hearing and subsequent hospitalization of his companion.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and bilateral tinnitus, finding that both conditions are causally related to noise exposure during his military service.