Hearing loss decisions — 2009

The Board has determined that additional examinations and records are needed to properly adjudicate the appellant's claims for service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left ear hearing loss and tinnitus are due to disease or injury incurred in service, granting service connection for these conditions.

The Board denied service connection for left ear hearing loss and depression, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are not due to his military service. The Board concluded that the Veteran's left ear hearing loss is related to an acoustic neuroma he had removed after discharge, and his depression is secondary to his service-connected tinnitus.

The Board has determined that further development is needed, including obtaining service treatment records and a VA examination to determine the current nature and etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's pre-existing bilateral hearing loss was aggravated by military service, and thus service connection is granted.

The VA determined that there is no evidence linking the Veteran's current hearing loss to his active duty service, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's claim for special monthly pension (SMP) benefits based on the need for regular aid and attendance or housebound status was denied because he failed to report for a VA examination scheduled to evaluate his hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus did not begin during service or are otherwise related to his military service, thus denying both claims.

The Board finds that the veteran has current diagnoses of chronic left-sided headache, a disability manifested by left-sided nasal obstruction, and a psychiatric disorder. The claim for service connection for left ear hearing loss is denied as there is no evidence showing an impaired hearing disability for VA compensation purposes.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss was denied due to lack of evidence showing current disability and no link between the condition and his military service. The Board found that reopening the claim is warranted, but denied service connection.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and a low back disorder, finding that new and material evidence was not received to reopen the claim for bilateral hearing loss and concluding that there is no medical correlation between the Veteran's low back disability and his military service.

The Veteran's appeal is denied as his conditions do not meet the criteria for service connection or a compensable disability rating.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a VA examination to assess the current severity of his service-connected bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his bilateral sensorineural hearing loss was denied as the audiometric testing did not show any worse than Level V hearing in either ear, warranting only a 10 percent disability rating.

The Veteran's PTSD was granted an increased evaluation to 50 percent effective July 11, 2007. The Board found that the symptoms from this date onward more closely approximated a 70 percent rating.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been received to reopen the Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss.

The VA denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there is no competent medical evidence linking his current condition to his period of active service.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence and a need for further development, including obtaining medical records and arranging for a VA examination.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have hearing loss or tinnitus that is etiologically linked to his period of active service. The Veteran did not develop a compensable level of hearing loss within one year of his discharge from service.

The Veteran's claim for an initial (compensable) rating for bilateral hearing loss from October 27, 2003 to June 16, 2006 was denied as his hearing acuity did not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation during this period.