Hearing loss decisions — 2011

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is not related to his military service, including noise exposure. The claim for service connection was denied.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral sensorineural hearing loss was not caused by military service, including noise exposure. The claim for left knee chondromalacia patella is pending and will be addressed in a separate remand.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including a VA examination.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is related to his service-connected hearing loss and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus had onset in service or were caused by his active military service, and thus granted service connection for these conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss and schizophrenia, as well as his attempt to reopen his claim for PTSD. The decision also noted that no new and material evidence had been received to support reopening of the PTSD claim.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus are found to be related to his active service.

The Veteran seeks service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, which he attributes to noise exposure during his military service. The case is being remanded due to the need for additional medical examination and records.

The Board has reopened the claims for service connection for Hepatitis C with resultant liver damage and bilateral hearing loss, and granted them. The claim for tinnitus is being remanded.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including diabetic nephropathy and posttraumatic stress disorder, have resulted in a permanent and total disability rating. The Board finds that the Veteran meets the criteria for specially adapted housing due to his service-connected disabilities affecting both lower extremities.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were denied as there is no medical evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is related to his military service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's combined service-connected disability rating is at least 80%, meeting the criteria for a TDIU. The evidence shows that his service-connected disabilities, including PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and degenerative arthritis of the hands and feet, render him unable to secure or follow substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for further development, including converting audiometric test results into numerical form and obtaining VA treatment records from 1945 to 1955.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus do not preclude him from securing and following substantially gainful employment, given his educational background and previous occupation as a teacher.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for a chronic imbalance disorder, but finds that new evidence does not establish a direct relationship between his current condition and military service.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, an acquired psychiatric disorder (including posttraumatic stress disorder), and a chronic seizure disorder. The evidence submitted since the previous decisions is both new and material.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for a skin disorder, an initial compensable rating for bronchitis, and an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss have been dismissed as the Veteran withdrew these claims prior to their decision.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss is currently rated at 20 percent from October 18, 2010. The claim for a higher rating is denied.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and found that new and material evidence has been received. However, the claim remains denied as there is no evidence showing a current disability or a link between active service and the claimed condition.