Hearing loss decisions — 2010

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating under VA regulations.

The Veteran withdrew her appeal for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, flat feet, a bilateral knee disorder, a female internal organ disorder, and incontinence prior to the Board's decision.

The Board has determined that additional VA treatment records need to be obtained, and a VA examination is required to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and low back disorder. The claims are being remanded for these purposes.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss, low back disability, residuals of left ankle sprain, and lung disability were not incurred or aggravated by service. The evidence does not support a finding of service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran seeks service connection for bilateral sensorineural hearing loss and tinnitus, which he attributes to noise exposure during service. The Board has remanded the case for further development including a VA examination.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is determined to be causally related to his active military service due to noise exposure during flight duty. As a result, the Board finds that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was incurred in service and grants service connection.

The Board denied service connection for right ear hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions were not incurred or aggravated by his military service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional medical opinions regarding his claims for bilateral hearing loss and decreased visual acuity. The VA will provide the Veteran with a VA examination to determine if these conditions are related to service, including any in-service injuries or exposures.

The Veteran's claims for a compensable rating for hearing loss, service connection for sleep apnea, and service connection for left eye blindness were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support these claims.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation, thus meeting the criteria for TDIU.

The Board is remanding the case to obtain additional medical records and ensure that all necessary development has been completed.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, cervical spine disorder, and thoracolumbar spine disorder are found to be related to his active service.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for chronic bilateral pes planus (flat feet). The Veteran served in combat and was awarded the Combat Infantryman Badge. Chronic bilateral pes planus was diagnosed during and following active service, warranting service connection.

The Board found no evidence of in-service noise exposure and negative STRs, thus denying service connection for bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's service connection claims for PTSD, depression, anxiety, and sleep difficulties are granted. The claim of hearing loss is dismissed as the Veteran withdrew it before a decision was made. Service connection for a personality disorder is denied.

The Veteran's claim for an initial (compensable) rating for bilateral hearing loss has been granted, but the noncompensable rating assigned to his right ear hearing loss is still in effect. The left ear hearing loss was also granted service connection.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss was denied by the Board, as his current disability level does not warrant a higher rating.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were denied. The claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for status post concussion headaches was also denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims file was lost and his service treatment records are unavailable. The case is being remanded to allow for a VA examination to address whether he currently has a colon condition related to service, as well as to determine if he has an acquired psychiatric disorder (including PTSD) related to service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, diverticulitis, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), left knee disorder, and right foot disorder were denied. The Board found no current diagnoses of the claimed conditions or evidence linking them to service.