Hearing loss decisions — 2009

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss is rated at 10 percent, the maximum schedular rating available. The VA examinations showed that his hearing acuity did not warrant a higher rating.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development to verify the Veteran's claimed stressors and assess his hearing loss and frozen feet.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and hypertension. The evidence does not support a finding of current disabilities or a link to service.

The Veteran's claimed bilateral hearing loss was not shown to be related to service, and the Board found no basis for granting service connection.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are related to his in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was rated at 30 percent from September 29, 2000, to January 7, 2002. A higher rating is not warranted during this period.

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 VA examination and addressing the adequacy of previous opinions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have any of the claimed conditions and therefore service connection is denied for hearing loss, right eye problems, tinnitus, and bilateral hand/wrist joints.

The Veteran's claims for reopening service connection for bilateral hearing loss, bilateral knee disability, lower back disability, and cervical spine disability are being remanded due to procedural issues.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and a left ankle disorder due to lack of evidence showing current disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current diagnoses of bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are likely related to his periods of active duty for training (ACDUTRA) or inactive duty for training (INACDUTRA) during service, including National Guard service. As such, these conditions have been granted as service-connected.

The Board has determined, based upon the medical and satisfactory lay evidence set forth above, that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss was incurred during his active service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right ear hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that new and material evidence had not been received to reopen these claims. The VA examinations did not show current hearing loss or tinnitus in either ear.

The Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss did not become manifest in service and is not shown to be related to service. The Board finds that the weight of the evidence is against a finding of service connection for bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development, including audiologic and psychiatric evaluations to determine the current severity of his bilateral hearing loss and PTSD. A TDIU evaluation will also be scheduled.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the extremities was denied. The Veteran received a 70% rating for PTSD from March 23, 2005 to October 19, 2006.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded to the RO for consideration of additional evidence and a VA examination.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss disability was evaluated as noncompensable in the August 2006 rating decision. The Board found that the current evaluation is adequate and denied the claim for a compensable rating.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred in or otherwise the result of active service, and thus denied his claims for service connection.

The Veteran's bilateral tinnitus is found to be at least as likely as not related to military noise exposure. The appeal regarding the issue of whether new and material evidence has been received to reopen a claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability was withdrawn.