Hearing loss decisions — 2010

The Board found no current diagnosis of a right fifth finger disorder and the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss does not meet VA criteria for a disability. Therefore, service connection is denied.

The Board denied reopening of the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, bilateral knee disability, and lumbar spine disability due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Veteran's service-connected eczematous rash with lichenification, bilateral lower legs is rated at 10 percent. The residual scars of the right eyebrow are not disfiguring and thus do not warrant a higher rating. Bilateral hearing loss does not meet criteria for compensable evaluation. The status post right tenth rib fracture has been granted a 10 percent rating effective March 1, 2006. The Veteran's service-connected degenerative joint disease of the lumbar spine is rated at 20 percent. Headaches have been assigned a 30 percent rating as of July 9, 2009.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current left ear hearing loss and tinnitus are related to in-service noise exposure, granting service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's initial claim for a higher rating for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss was granted, and he is currently rated at 30 percent disabling from March 24, 2007. The Board found that the evidence did not support an increase in disability rating beyond this level.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have hearing loss in his right ear meeting VA compensation criteria, and thus service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied. The left ear hearing loss and tinnitus are considered multifactorial with no specific military influence identified.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, and a skin disorder of the feet. The claim for PTSD was granted with an initial disability rating of 30 percent.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and granted it, finding that new evidence supports a current disability.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for chloracne due to new and material evidence. However, it denied both his claims for service connection for chloracne and hearing loss as they are not related to his active military service.

The Veteran's appeal has been withdrawn for the claims of service connection for right ear hearing loss and a compensable evaluation for left ear hearing loss.

The Board found no evidence of a nexus between the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability and his service, including noise exposure. The claim for service connection was denied.

The Board finds that the preponderance of the evidence is against the Veteran's claims for service connection for left ear hearing loss and tinnitus, as there is no competent medical evidence linking these conditions to his active service.

The Board found that the Veteran's hearing loss did not meet the criteria for disability under VA regulations, and thus denied his claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for further development, including additional medical examinations and consideration of his income.

The Veteran's claims for increased evaluations for bilateral hearing loss and pes planus were denied by the Board. The Veteran was found to have Level VIII hearing loss in his right ear, Level IV hearing loss in his left ear, and Level VI hearing loss in his right ear with Level II hearing loss in his left ear. He is currently rated at 20 percent for bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a new VA examination to assess the impact of his service-connected disabilities on his ability to engage in gainful employment. The case will be adjudicated again after this development.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including scheduling a VA audiological examination and obtaining any additional VA treatment records. The Veteran's service connection claims will be readjudicated after these actions.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss and service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder were denied. The case is being remanded to obtain relevant treatment records.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his military service, granting service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities alone are found to preclude substantially gainful employment, warranting a total disability rating based on individual unemployability.