Hearing loss decisions — 2011

The appeal has been withdrawn by the appellant through his authorized representative before a decision was made.

The Veteran's claims for hearing loss, left knee disorder, and right wrist disorder are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations and consideration of his service connection claims.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for hypertension, bilateral hearing loss, and bilateral tinnitus have been withdrawn. The remaining claims of service connection for disorders of the lumbar spine, knees, feet (claimed as joint pain), and chronic fatigue syndrome are dismissed due to lack of jurisdiction.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for allergy and bilateral hearing loss disability was denied as there is no current evidence of a disability or persistent symptoms related to these conditions. The Board found that the Veteran did not have allergies, and his hearing loss disability could not be presumed due to noise exposure in service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's residuals of a left ring finger injury, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus are all service-connected. The Veteran's current conditions were incurred in or aggravated by his active duty service.

The Board denied service connection for various conditions, including left ear hearing loss, psychiatric disability other than PTSD, cervical radiculopathy, onychomycosis of the feet and toes, a fungus infection of the first finger, and erectile dysfunction. The Veteran's annual income was found to be excessive for nonservice-connected pension benefits.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss does not warrant a compensable rating at any point during the appeal period.

The Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability did not have onset in service and was not caused or aggravated by his active military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current left shoulder disorder, brain lesion, or cognitive impairment. The service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss and neurotoxicity due to solvent exposure are denied as there is no clear evidence of these conditions during service.

The VA has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss does not warrant a disability rating greater than 10 percent.

The Board has remanded the case to the RO for additional development due to inadequate examination and incomplete evidence. The Veteran's claims for service connection for left ear hearing loss and tinnitus are being reviewed.

The Board denied service connection for a bilateral hearing loss disability, finding that the Veteran's current condition is not related to his active military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss does not warrant a compensable rating under the applicable VA disability evaluation criteria.

The Veteran's current tinnitus is related to his military service, and the Board has granted service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss and service connection for pes planus were denied. The claim for service connection for pes planus is pending due to the failure to issue a Statement of the Case.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The hearing loss claim was not granted as the rating did not meet criteria for a higher evaluation, while the postoperative left inguinal hernia claim was also denied due to lack of compensable evidence.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete information and need for further examination regarding the Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus claims.

The Veteran withdrew his appeal for service connection for a right tympanic membrane perforation during the February 2011 hearing. The issues of entitlement to service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus are addressed in the REMAND portion.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional examinations and further development of evidence related to the Veteran's low back disability and bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has determined that further development is needed to determine if the Veteran currently has hearing loss and hypertension, as well as whether these conditions are related to service or secondary to diabetes mellitus. The claims will be remanded for additional examinations and medical opinions.