Hearing loss decisions — 2010

The Veteran's service connection claim for bilateral hearing loss was denied as his current hearing loss is not etiologically related to active military service.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for service connection for various conditions, including an acquired psychiatric disorder, a thoracic spine disorder, bilateral hearing loss, left leg disorder, left ankle disorder, and head injury. The appeals were not related to exposure to burn pits, Agent Orange, Camp Lejeune, radiation, or Gulf War. No new evidence was presented that would reopen the previously denied claims.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for bilateral sensorineural hearing loss and tinnitus have been withdrawn. The appeal regarding the denial of a higher evaluation for PTSD has been remanded.

The Veteran's PTSD is related to her active service, while her bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not.

The Board has not been able to locate certain medical records and the Veteran's work medical records. The case is being remanded for further development of these records.

The Board has granted service connection for psoriasis but denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has determined that additional development is necessary to determine the Veteran's hearing loss conditions and their relationship to service, as well as any applicable rating.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and a rating in excess of 10 percent for disability of lumbar spine, finding that there was no evidence to support these claims.

The Board has determined that there is no evidence of a current bilateral hearing loss disability or tinnitus, and the preponderance of the evidence does not support a finding that these conditions are related to service. Therefore, service connection for both conditions is denied.

The Board has determined that there is no competent evidence linking the Veteran's current hearing loss and tinnitus to his active duty service. As a result, the claims for service connection are denied.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including cold weather injuries and bilateral hearing loss, prevent him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was not incurred in or aggravated by active service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is service-connected, and as such, his claim for tinnitus secondary to this condition is also granted.

The Board has granted service connection for right ear hearing loss and denied a higher rating for left ear hearing loss. The Veteran's right ear hearing loss is found to be the result of disease or injury incurred in active military service.

The Veteran's claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) is being remanded due to the need for additional development of his medical records and an examination to assess the combined effects of his service-connected disabilities on his employability.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient information regarding the relationship between service-connected bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, requiring further clarification from the examiner.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date of October 12, 2007, for a 100 percent disability rating for PTSD was granted. The earliest evidence of the severity of his PTSD symptoms is dated January 21, 2004.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss disability and an increased rating for malaria. The Veteran's hearing loss was not shown to be related to his military service, and there is no evidence of active malaria disease or its residuals.

The Board has ordered additional development of the appellant's service treatment records and other relevant documents to determine if there are any missing or incomplete records that could affect his claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has determined that the reduction of the Veteran's disability rating for bilateral hearing loss from 50% to noncompensable was proper. The November 2009 decision granting a 10% rating effective August 26, 2009, is also upheld.