Hearing loss decisions — 2010

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's tinnitus is attributable to acoustic trauma during active service. The claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss remains pending and will be remanded for further development.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for lumbar spine disability, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were incurred or aggravated by service.

The Board found that the Veteran's low back disorder was not incurred in or aggravated by active service and may not be presumed to have been so incurred. The claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are addressed in the REMAND portion of the decision.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus. The Board found that there was no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board has remanded the case due to a pending travel board hearing request and the Veteran's request for a personal hearing before a Veterans Law Judge at the RO.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining treatment records and scheduling VA examinations.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not currently have a ruptured right tympanic membrane and therefore service connection for this condition is denied. The claim of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability will be addressed in the remand portion of this decision.

The Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not service-connected as they did not manifest during active duty or within one year of separation. The VA examiner found the Veteran's post-service work environment to be more significant in causing his hearing issues than military noise exposure.

The Veteran's claims for reimbursement of private medical expenses incurred between June 2005 and May 2006 were denied as the care provided was not rendered in conjunction with a medical emergency, and prior authorization from VA had not been obtained.

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

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus, finding that there was no evidence of a nexus to service.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for left ear hearing loss has been dismissed due to the death of the appellant.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for scheduling a hearing before a Veterans Law Judge.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA and private medical records, arranging for audiological and psychological examinations, and providing a supplemental statement of the case (SSOC).

The Veteran withdrew his appeal regarding the issue of service connection for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hearing loss, tinnitus, and carpal tunnel syndrome are related to his service and grants these claims.

The Veteran's right ear sensorineural hearing loss and cervical spine disorder have been granted service connection, with the cervical spine disorder receiving a 30 percent evaluation.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is not related to his active service, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, headaches (cluster), and peripheral neuropathy were denied as they are not service-connected based on direct evidence or presumptive exposure to herbicide agents. The Board found that the Veteran did not have a current disability of these conditions and there was no credible evidence linking them to his military service.

The appellant's service-connected disabilities do not render him unemployable due to their severity.