Hearing loss decisions — 2012

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development to determine if he is unemployable due to his service-connected disabilities, including coronary artery disease.

The Board determined that the Veteran's chronic right ear hearing loss disability was not incurred in or aggravated by active service and may not be presumed to have been incurred during such service. However, his preexisting chronic left ear high frequency hearing loss disability for VA purposes was established as of August 1989 and is considered direct service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is related to in-service noise exposure and granted service connection for this condition. The left hip disability was not found to be directly related to service.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is rated as noncompensable (0 percent) since the date of his service connection grant, and no higher rating is warranted.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including a new VA examination to assess whether the Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unemployable.

The Veteran's claim for a TDIU is being remanded due to the need to consider newly service-connected radiation colitis and additional evidence received since the last SSOC.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for scheduling a hearing before the Board of Veterans' Appeals at his regional office. The issues include service connection claims and rating determinations.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and records.

The Board has denied the Veteran's applications to reopen his previously denied claims for service connection for right ear hearing loss disability, left ear hearing loss disability, and tinnitus. The claims were all found to be without new and material evidence.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and finds that there is sufficient evidence to establish a link between his current condition and military noise exposure during active duty in the Tennessee Army National Guard.

The Veteran's initial rating for bilateral hearing loss was granted at 80 percent effective February 4, 2003. The rating has been adjusted to 40 percent from April 14, 2008 to October 20, 2009 and to 50 percent thereafter.

The Veteran's claimed conditions of bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred in or aggravated by his military service, and the Board is denying these claims.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claim for a higher rating for his bilateral hearing loss due to missing a scheduled VA examination in December 2009 and lack of adequate medical evidence on file. The Veteran is required to provide information about any additional treatment providers who have treated him, and all relevant records must be obtained.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for further development due to incomplete examination reports and need for additional medical opinions regarding his hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examination to properly assess the etiology of these conditions.

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

The July 2008 rating decision granted a 30 percent evaluation for bilateral hearing loss, which was later reduced to 0 percent effective September 1, 2011. The reduction was proper due to improvement in the Veteran's hearing.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including an audiological evaluation and consideration of whether extraschedular evaluation is warranted for his service-connected tinnitus disability.

The Board found that the appellant's service-connected disabilities do not render him in need of regular aid and attendance or housebound status, thus denying his claim for special monthly compensation based on these needs.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss has rendered him unable to protect himself from daily environmental hazards, meeting the criteria for SMC based on need for regular aid and attendance.