Hearing loss decisions — 2010

The Veteran is seeking service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, as well as an increased rating for GERD. The case has been remanded to obtain additional medical records and conduct a new VA examination.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient rationale in the VA examination report and the need for a new examination to determine if the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is related to service.

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

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left ear hearing loss is attributable to in-service noise exposure and grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA and private treatment records, and providing the Veteran with a VA examination to assess his claimed conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for right ear hearing loss, bilateral tinnitus, and a back disability have been denied as there is no evidence of current disabilities or a nexus to service.

The Veteran's claim for an increased evaluation in excess of 40 percent for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss is being remanded due to the need for additional VA audiological examination and consideration of functional effects.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities (primarily his peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities) have resulted in the permanent loss of use of both legs, as no effective function remains other than that which could be equally well served by below-the-knee amputation stumps with use of a suitable prosthetic appliance. Therefore, assistance for the purchase of an automobile and adaptive equipment has been granted.

The Veteran seeks service connection for bilateral hearing loss, which he claims is due to noise exposure during active duty. The Board finds the Veteran's statements regarding noise exposure credible and accepts them as true. However, his preexisting left ear hearing loss disability was noted upon entry into service, making him ineligible for direct service connection. The case is remanded for further examination and opinion on etiology.

The Board denied service connection for sleep apnea and hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are not related to his active military service.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to failure to fulfill duty to assist and notify.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including PTSD and multiple physical conditions, render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation. The Board grants TDIU effective November 10, 2009.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from engaging in substantially gainful employment.

The Board found that the Veteran did not have a diagnosed hearing loss disability as defined by VA standards, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran did not sustain a gunshot wound to his right hand during service and that bilateral hearing loss did not originate in service or until many years after service. Therefore, both conditions are denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left ear hearing loss disability originated during his active service and is therefore granted as service connected.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for a hearing at the RO before a Veterans Law Judge.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and a psychiatric disorder, to include PTSD. The appeal is remanded for further development.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence was not submitted to reopen the claim of entitlement to service connection for right eye enucleation. The Veteran's current diagnosis does not include a residual burn scar, and there is no evidence linking his current condition to service.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn, and the case is dismissed.