Hearing loss decisions — 2010

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine conditions, arteriosclerotic heart disease, hearing loss, dacrycocystitis, and other conditions, are of such severity that they preclude substantially gainful employment.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there was no evidence of a chronic condition during service or within the applicable presumptive period. The Board also found that the current findings were not related to in-service noise exposure.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is causally related to active service and granted service connection for this condition.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that new and material evidence has been submitted. The Board then determined that both conditions are likely related to his period of active service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for a right knee disability, hearing loss, and tinnitus are being remanded to obtain additional medical records and provide the Veteran with appropriate VA examinations.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions are pending. The claim for an initial compensable evaluation for right ear hearing loss is also pending.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, irritable bowel syndrome, and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). The evidence does not support a finding that these conditions were incurred or aggravated during military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral sensorineural hearing loss does not warrant a rating in excess of 20 percent.

The Board denied the appellant's claim of entitlement to service connection for hearing loss disability due to his failure to report for scheduled VA examinations, and as a result, there is no evidence of a current disability or a link between the claimed condition and service.

The Board found that the appellant's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his military service, as there is no evidence of in-service acoustic trauma or a chronic disability present at separation from service. The VA examiners concluded that the appellant's hearing loss and tinnitus were more likely due to civilian noise exposure over forty years after service.

The Board has remanded the case to the RO for additional development due to the Veteran's failure to appear at a scheduled hearing and his request for a local Board Videoconference hearing.

The Board has remanded the case due to conflicting medical evidence and a need for further examination. The Veteran's claims for service connection of bilateral sensorineural hearing loss and tinnitus are on appeal.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss did not have its onset during active service or result from disease or injury in service. Therefore, the claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss was denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are as likely as not due to noise exposure during his active military service, and thus grants service connection for both conditions.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to a hearing issue, and no specific service connection decision was made.

The Veteran's initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss and increased rating in excess of 50 percent for PTSD were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for an exceptional pattern of hearing loss, which would allow application of Table VIA.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss has been rated as noncompensable throughout the appeal period, with no worse than Level II hearing in the right ear and no worse than Level IV hearing in the left ear.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to a need for additional examination and consideration of the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Board has granted service connection for lumbar and cervical spine disabilities, coronary artery disease, and hypertension. Bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have not been found to be related to service.

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