Hearing loss decisions — 2010

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment, and therefore he is not entitled to a TDIU.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and lumbar spine disability are found to be related to service. The left foot disorder is not shown to be related to service.

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, it denied his claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for tooth loss, bilateral hearing loss, back disability, right shoulder disability, and traumatic brain disease. The decision also addressed whether new and material evidence had been received to reopen previously denied claims for these conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for back disorder, bilateral hearing loss, and lung disorder due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Veteran's initial claim for an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss was granted, with a noncompensable disability rating assigned from March 7, 2006 to June 4, 2007. Since then, the Veteran has not met the criteria for any higher ratings under VA's Rating Schedule.

The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss prior to July 23, 2009, and a rating in excess of 30 percent thereafter was denied. The Board found that the preponderance of the evidence did not warrant such ratings based on the audiology results.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was not caused or made worse by his military service, and therefore the claim for service connection is denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's chronic left ear hearing loss disability was not incurred during active service and may not be presumed to have been incurred due to noise exposure. The VA audiologists concluded that the post-service onset of the Veteran's left ear sensorineural hearing loss is more likely related to his civilian occupational noise exposure.

The Board denied service connection for left ankle, foot (pes planus), right leg, and hearing loss in the right ear disabilities. The evidence did not support a finding of continuity of symptomatology or a link between current conditions and service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and granted a 10 percent disability rating for his service-connected tinnitus.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that these conditions did not originate during his military service or until decades after discharge.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for alcoholism is denied as the law precludes such a finding after October 31, 1990.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, bilateral tinnitus, and hypertension have been granted. The decision is based on direct evidence rather than any presumption or secondary theory.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for his bilateral hearing loss and TDIU claims is remanded due to the need for additional examination and opinion regarding the severity of his hearing loss, as well as an assessment of his employability.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left ear hearing loss and tinnitus are not service-connected, with the opinion being against these claims.

The Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss is being remanded due to unclear evidence regarding the current existence of a disability and insufficient medical opinion on the relationship between the claimed condition and military noise exposure.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and evaluations. The issues of whether new and material evidence has been received to reopen claims for service connection for a low back disorder, an acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD, and a neck disorder remain pending.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, both rated at 10 percent disabling effective October 31, 2005. The appellant's claims were reopened due to new evidence submitted since the previous denial in February 2004.