Hearing loss decisions — 2011

The Board has remanded the case due to scheduling issues for a hearing before a Veterans Law Judge at the New York, New York, RO.

The Board finds that the preponderance of the evidence is against a finding that the Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus were incurred in or otherwise the result of his active service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including diabetes mellitus, type II and eczema (claimed as rash/itching), are denied due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to his active service or herbicide exposure.

The Board has determined that further development is needed to determine if the Veteran had other periods of Active Duty for Training (ACDUTRA) and Inactive Duty for Training (INACDUTRA). The Veteran's hearing loss may be related to his active duty service, but a VA examination is needed to clarify this. For his knee disabilities, a VA examination is also needed to determine the etiology of these conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's conditions originated from acoustic trauma in service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his military service, including exposure to loud noises during active duty. As a result, the claims for service connection have been granted.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and arthritis of both hands, both feet, and the right leg due to a lack of wartime service. The appellant did not have at least 90 days of active duty during a period of war or commencing/ending during a period of war.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including scheduling of VA examinations to address the medical matters presented by this appeal.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for a VA audiological examination to determine if the appellant's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his ACDUTRA service.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss has been rated as non-compensable since April 2, 2008. The Board finds that the current evidence does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss and PTSD, but further development is needed to determine if these conditions are related to his military service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a VA audiological examination and the opportunity to submit private medical records. The case will be reviewed again after these actions are completed.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are related to his in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional medical records and to schedule a VA examination for his eye conditions. The issues of service connection are still pending.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not meet the criteria for service connection for a prostate condition, bilateral hearing loss, or tinnitus on any basis.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including VA examinations to determine the nature and etiology of his claimed conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is service-connected and his bilateral hearing loss warrants a noncompensable disability rating.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to missing evidence and a need to obtain relevant medical records.

The VA determined that the appellant's bilateral hearing loss disability does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating under the applicable diagnostic code.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the upper extremities and a bilateral hearing loss disability, as well as his claim regarding whether he timely filed an appeal to the October 13, 2004 rating decision. The Board found that there was no showing of peripheral neuropathy or evidence of herbicide exposure, and thus denied service connection for these conditions. For the bilateral hearing loss, the Board determined that a compensable rating is not warranted.