Hearing loss decisions — 2010

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred in or aggravated by active service, and thus denied his claims for service connection.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for an increased rating for left ear hearing loss and service connection for vertigo, finding that there was no evidence of chronicity in service or continuity of symptoms after discharge. The Board also found that the Veteran's vertigo was not related to his service-connected left ear hearing loss.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for his service-connected tinnitus and a compensable rating for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's claim for a compensable initial rating for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss is being remanded due to the need for additional examination and consideration of functional effects on daily activities.

The Board denied service connection for right ear hearing loss and tinnitus, finding no evidence of noise exposure during service. Service connection was also denied for colon cancer, as the condition did not manifest within one year after discharge and is not linked to service.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to inadequate examination findings, incomplete reasoning in a previous VA opinion, and missing records. The Veteran will need to undergo another VA examination and provide any additional medical evidence.

The appellant is seeking special monthly pension based on the need for regular aid and attendance or at the housebound rate. The Board has determined that a VA examination is needed to determine her eligibility.

The Veteran's claim for special monthly compensation based on the need for aid and attendance is being remanded due to incomplete information from VA examinations.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to service, with the most competent evidence supporting this conclusion.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are being remanded due to the unavailability of his service records, but evidence suggests he was exposed to noise during service. A VA examination is needed to determine if his current hearing loss and tinnitus are related to this exposure.

The Board finds that the Veteran's service connection claim for bilateral hearing loss is granted, as there is an approximate balance of positive and negative evidence in his favor. The weight of the evidence supports the claim based on continuity of symptomatology since service.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred or aggravated by active service, as there was no evidence of in-service noise exposure and the conditions have not been shown to be related to service.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current disabilities are at least as likely as not related to his in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently rated at 40 percent, which is the maximum schedular rating available for this condition. The Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted based on the evidence of record.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's disabilities were aggravated by service. The claim for service connection for vertigo is remanded due to a lack of examination addressing this issue. The PTSD claim is also remanded as it may be related to other psychiatric disorders.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that new and material evidence was not provided to substantiate his claim.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not related to his active service, as there was no evidence of such conditions during or within one year after service. The VA examiner opined that it is not likely that either condition is related to active duty.

The Board has granted service connection for right ear hearing loss and found that it is causally related to service. The issue of an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss will be remanded for further development.

The Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability was not incurred in or aggravated by service, and the Board finds that it is less likely than not related to noise exposure during service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for increased evaluations for service-connected left ear hearing loss and panic disorder without agoraphobia, as well as his claim to reopen a previously denied right ear hearing loss claim. The Board also denied service connection for GERD or IBS and alcoholism.