Hearing loss decisions — 2010

The Board denied service connection for bilateral sensorineural hearing loss and low back disorder, but granted service connection for PTSD. The Veteran's claims were remanded multiple times due to procedural issues.

The Veteran's current left ear hearing loss is not related to his service, including exposure to acoustic trauma.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss is rated as noncompensable, and the Board finds no basis for a higher rating.

The Board finds that the Veteran does not have a current bilateral hearing loss disability or inner ear disorder with vertigo and disequilibrium, due to disease or injury that was incurred in or aggravated by active service. The weight of the evidence demonstrates these conditions are not related to any event or injury during his military service.

The Veteran's left ear hearing loss is rated as noncompensable, and the Board finds no basis to grant a higher rating.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his right ear hearing loss is being remanded due to the need for additional information regarding the Maryland CNC testing conducted at his VA examinations.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, a heart disability and hypertension (claimed as due to exposure to herbicides), and a right finger disability. The decision found that there was no evidence of chronic hearing loss or any other condition related to active duty service.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has been evaluated as noncompensable since the grant of service connection. The evidence does not support a higher evaluation based on current audiometric results.

The Board has granted service connection for a right knee disorder and a noncompensable initial evaluation for the service-connected left ear hearing loss disability. The Veteran's claim is remanded to issue a Statement of the Case (SOC) regarding his request for higher evaluations.

The Board has determined that a new examination is necessary to determine the etiology of the Veteran's claimed bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, as well as whether these conditions are related to his military service.

The Veteran's claims for a higher rating for chondromalacia of the left knee, reopening his asbestos exposure claim, and service connection for bilateral hearing loss were all denied by the Board. The denial was based on insufficient evidence to support these claims.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current hearing loss and tinnitus disabilities are related to his active service, including exposure to noise during combat in Vietnam. As a result, the appeal for service connection is granted.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus were denied as there was no evidence of a nexus to service, with the preponderance of the evidence showing that these conditions did not manifest during or within one year after service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, bronchial asthma, bronchitis, shin splints of the right leg, shin splints of the left leg, migraine headaches, and a skin condition due to lack of evidence supporting these conditions during his active duty service.

The Veteran's degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine is related to his service-connected bilateral knee disabilities. The Board finds that the Veteran's statements are credible and consistent with other medical evidence, supporting a finding that his back pain is caused by his altered gait mechanics resulting from his service-connected bilateral knee disabilities.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining treatment records from Dr. Wolfe and scheduling a VA audiometric examination to assess the nature and etiology of his claimed hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current disability of arthritis of the ankles, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, or residuals of an injury to the right index finger that is related to his military service. The evidence does not support a finding of in-service injury or chronic symptomatology.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and left ear hearing loss, finding that these conditions are related to military service. The right ear hearing loss claim is denied as there is no current diagnosis of a hearing disability in the right ear for VA purposes.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss, chronic tinnitus, and chronic vertigo did not have their origin during his period of active military service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination.