Hearing loss decisions — 2012

The Board has dismissed the appeal as the Veteran withdrew his appeal for service connection for type II diabetes mellitus and hypertension. The claim for an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left ear hearing loss is not related to service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss must be remanded due to inadequate medical opinion and incomplete service records. The case will be returned to the RO/AMC for further development.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating under VA's disability evaluation guidelines.

The Board has determined that the December 1978 rating decision denying service connection for hearing loss was clearly erroneous and requires revision. Service connection is now granted for left ear hearing loss.

The appeal has been withdrawn by the appellant before a decision was made.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was not incurred in or aggravated by service and may not be presumed to have been incurred or aggravated therein.

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

The Board found that the Veteran's current right ear hearing loss is not related to his active service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining a medical opinion regarding whether the Veteran's tinnitus is caused or aggravated by his service-connected bilateral hearing loss. The case will be reviewed on both direct and secondary bases.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and a lumbar spine disorder, finding no evidence of current disability or in-service noise exposure resulting in hearing loss.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling VA examinations to assess his hearing loss, PTSD, and unemployability.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for an extraschedular rating for his bilateral hearing loss, finding that it does not present such an exceptional disability picture as to render impractical the application of the regular schedular standards.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining clarification of the VA examiner's opinion regarding his hearing loss and providing a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of his obstructive sleep apnea.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, a back disability, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus. The evidence did not establish that these conditions were incurred or aggravated by military service.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for eligibility for automobile and adaptive equipment or adaptive equipment only due to lack of loss or permanent loss of use of one or both feet, hands, vision, or ankylosis.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher disability rating for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss has been denied by the Board.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional examinations and evaluations to determine the current severity of his service-connected disabilities, as well as to address his claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and a bilateral ulnar nerve condition.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there was no evidence of current disabilities or a nexus to service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current disability for which service connection can be granted, including bilateral hearing loss, right and left foot disabilities, ulcers, hypertension, bilateral shoulder disability, PTSD, or an acquired psychiatric disorder. The evidence is insufficient to establish a nexus between any of these conditions and service.