Hearing loss decisions — 2011

The Board has determined that the appellant's bilateral hearing loss is not related to his active service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence on which to make a reasoned determination regarding the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The Veteran was exposed to acoustic trauma during training in service with his artillery unit, but there is no medical evidence linking this exposure to his current hearing loss.

The Veteran's appeals for increased evaluations for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss and hemorrhoids have been withdrawn. The appeal for an initial evaluation higher than 30 percent for PTSD is being remanded for additional development.

The Board found that the Veteran's right ear hearing loss and residuals of stab wound, left knee, were not incurred in or aggravated by service. The Veteran did not meet the criteria for an initial compensable evaluation for his left ear hearing loss and gunshot wound to the left foot with a scar of the second toe and fracture of the third toe.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension and assigned a zero percent rating. The Veteran's hypertension is not manifested by diastolic pressure predominantly 100 or more, or systolic pressure predominantly 160 or more.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus need further development due to inadequate medical opinions.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and gastrointestinal disorder are not found to be related to his active service or service-connected conditions. The Board denied the claims for service connection.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including a VA examination and readjudication of the issues on appeal.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss condition had its onset during active service. The Veteran will be scheduled for an examination and a supplemental statement of the case will be issued.

The Veteran's scars on the right and left cheek due to his service-connected skin cancer manifest in two characteristics of disfigurement, warranting a 30 percent disability rating for his service-connected skin cancer.

The Board has determined that further development is needed before the claim can be adjudicated, including a VA examination to assess whether the Veteran's current hearing loss and tinnitus are related to service.

The Veteran has withdrawn her appeal on all issues, including service connection for bilateral hearing loss, bilateral tinnitus, and migraine headaches.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and providing the Veteran with another skin examination.

The VA denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding no evidence of current disabilities or in-service events that could support a grant of benefits.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining service treatment records and scheduling VA examinations to assess the Veteran's hearing loss and right knee disability.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there is no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete information and need for clarification on the relationship between bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. The Veteran's claim is also being reviewed for secondary service connection.

The Board has determined that a VA audiological examination is necessary to determine the nature, extent, onset, and etiology of any hearing loss and/or tinnitus found to be present. The appellant's entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus will be reconsidered after this additional development.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss disability is currently manifested by no worse than a Level II hearing in the right ear and no worse than a Level III hearing in the left ear, resulting in a noncompensable evaluation. The Board finds that a compensable evaluation is not warranted.

The Board finds that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is related to his active duty service and grants service connection for this condition.