Hearing loss decisions — 2012

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is a result of noise exposure during service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board found no new and material evidence to reopen the claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, thus denying the request.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder to include anxiety and depression. The claims for low back strain with arthritis and a left arm residual scar of a gunshot wound were also denied as new and material evidence was not received.

The Veteran's claim for a TDIU is being remanded due to inadequate medical examination and consideration of the combined effects of his service-connected disabilities on his employability.

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

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current left ear hearing loss, sinus disorder, and right elbow and forearm disorder are not related to his military service.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss did not have its onset in service or within one year of separation from active duty, and there was no evidence to support a finding that it was caused by military noise exposure. The VA examinations indicated that her current hearing loss is less likely due to service.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claim of entitlement to a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss requires additional development and is therefore being remanded.

The Veteran seeks an increased rating for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss, which is currently rated as noncompensable. The case is REMANDED to the RO via the Appeals Management Center (AMC) in Washington, DC, for a VA examination and further development.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the failure to provide proper notice for a scheduled hearing. The issues of entitlement to service connection for various disabilities remain on appeal.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus was denied in March and April 2003. The Board finds that the effective date cannot be earlier than December 7, 2007 as there is no evidence of a current disability prior to this date.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. The case will be remanded for further action.

The Board denied service connection for right ear hearing loss, hypertension, heart disability (cardiac murmur), right great toe disability, low back disability, residuals of cold injury to hands, and bilateral knee disability. The Veteran did not have a current diagnosis of these conditions at the time of the decision.

The Board found that the Veteran's rheumatoid arthritis or osteoarthritis and bilateral hearing loss were not incurred in service, within one year of separation from service, or related to any incident of service. The claims for these conditions are therefore denied.

The Board has decided to remand the case for further development and consideration, including obtaining additional medical opinions regarding the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's tinnitus is related to in-service acoustic trauma and has been granted service connection.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of lumbar intervertebral disc syndrome, finding that there was no indication in his April/May 2005 application for compensation and/or pension benefits that he intended to seek service connection for a back disability.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are being remanded due to the need for a VA examination to determine if these conditions are related to his military service, including in-service noise exposure.

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

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine the nature and etiology of the Veteran's hearing loss and PTSD, as well as to evaluate his service connection claims.