Hearing loss decisions — 2010

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that new and material evidence has been submitted. The Board also determined that these conditions are related to noise exposure in service.

The Veteran's bilateral tinnitus is assigned a 10 percent rating, the maximum rating available under Diagnostic Code 6260. The appeal for a higher rating for tinnitus has been denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's right ear hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his military service, with noise exposure being a significant factor.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient reasoning and bases for its determinations denying service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. The Veteran's claims are being returned for further development.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to scheduling issues for a VA examination related to his bilateral hearing loss. The claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss will be reconsidered.

The Veteran's BHL disability is granted and his PTSD rating remains at 30 percent.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to incomplete records and need for further medical examinations.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional service treatment records.

The Board found no evidence of a current hearing loss or tinnitus disability related to service, and thus denied the Veteran's claims for service connection.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are being remanded for additional development as the VA examiner has not provided an opinion regarding whether these conditions were aggravated by her service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain a VA examination for his hearing loss, tinnitus, and gastrointestinal disability. Additionally, the claims for service connection are being remanded due to the lack of a VA examination.

The Board finds that the reduction of the Veteran's disability rating from 30 percent to 20 percent for service-connected bilateral hearing loss was not proper and grants restoration of the original 30 percent rating.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for a VA examination to assess the current severity of his service-connected bilateral hearing loss. The claim will be readjudicated after obtaining all necessary evidence.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. This includes obtaining his service personnel records, VA treatment records since June 2008, and a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of any current hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Veteran's claims for esophageal cancer, PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and evaluations.

The Veteran's initial noncompensable evaluation for left ear hearing loss and service connection for tinnitus were granted. The Veteran has mild sensorineural hearing loss in the left ear, with no significant speech recognition difficulties.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss resulted in interference with his employment and presented an exceptional or unusual disability picture, warranting a compensable schedular rating for accrued benefits. The Veteran also had marked interference with his employment due to the hearing loss, which warranted an extra-schedular rating.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current hearing loss disability for VA purposes and finds no direct service connection is warranted. However, the Veteran's tinnitus was incurred in service.

The Board has remanded the case for a new VA audiological examination to determine if the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was incurred during or aggravated by his active duty military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims to reopen service connection for bilateral pes planus and asthma, as well as his claim for service connection for epididymitis. The decision also addressed a claim for depression secondary to hearing loss and tinnitus.