Hearing loss decisions — 2011

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including scheduling a VA audiological examination at the Leavenworth VA facility. The Veteran failed to report for the scheduled examination and must be given another opportunity.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is productive of no more than Level II hearing acuity in the right ear and Level III hearing acuity in the left ear, resulting in a noncompensable evaluation.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection and increased disability ratings, finding that his claimed conditions were not established as incurred in or aggravated by service.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and earlier effective dates were denied. The Board found that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for higher disability ratings or earlier effective dates in several of her claims.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been granted. The claim for a psychiatric disorder, including PTSD and depression, has also been granted.

The Veteran's hearing loss has been rated as noncompensable prior to September 29, 2009 and as 10 percent thereafter. The Board finds that the evidence does not warrant a higher rating at any point during the appeal period.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence was not received to reopen the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. As a result, these claims remain denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further examination and a clinical opinion regarding his ability to secure and maintain substantially gainful employment due to service-connected bilateral hearing loss disability.

The Board has determined that a remand is necessary to address the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to in-service noise exposure. The case will be returned to the RO for further development.

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss and tinnitus are not service-connected due to lack of evidence meeting the criteria for a disability. The left ear hearing loss is service-connected as it was shown during service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims of service connection for various conditions, including asthma, mouth surgery, and right ear hearing loss, have been granted. The decision also indicates that the Veteran withdrew his appeals regarding other issues.

The Veteran's claims for right ear hearing loss, vestibular neuronitis, residuals of a blood clot of the left ear, and residuals of an injury to the right, fifth finger were denied as there is no current diagnosis or evidence of such conditions.,There are no STRs or post-service medical records indicating any current diagnoses of these claimed conditions.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for tinnitus, finding that his continuous ringing in his ears since active service is related to his military service. The issue of bilateral hearing loss was withdrawn by the Veteran prior to a decision being made.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability is not related to his military service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is rated at 10 percent effective May 24, 2010. The claim for increased rating for the bilateral hearing loss disability is granted.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have current disabilities of bilateral hearing loss, migraine headaches, tinnitus, or a perforated left ear drum for VA compensation purposes and there is no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are being remanded due to the need for a VA examination.

The Veteran's tinnitus was granted service connection as it had its onset during military service and has continued since then. The claim for bilateral hearing loss is remanded due to insufficient evidence regarding noise exposure in service.

The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining recent VA treatment records and scheduling a new VA examination.