Hearing loss decisions — 2013

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his military service, specifically due to noise exposure during combat operations in Vietnam.

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss and fungus of the bilateral toenails are not service-connected.,His low back disorder is also not service-connected.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's in-service noise exposure resulted in current tinnitus. Service connection for bilateral hearing loss is remanded due to a lack of medical evidence on file.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including degenerative disc and joint disease of the lumbar spine, hypertension, tinnitus, right wrist degenerative joint disease, bilateral plantar fasciitis, bilateral hearing loss, and a right wrist scar, are considered in determining whether he is unemployable due to his service-connected conditions.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeals for the issues of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and depression, as well as whether new and material evidence has been received to reopen the claim of entitlement to service connection for a schizoid and passive dependent personality disorder. As such, these claims are dismissed.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are inextricably intertwined due to his reference to a 1968 civil service exam. The case is being remanded to obtain these records, as well as any other relevant information.

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

The evidence does not support granting service connection for bilateral hearing loss or tinnitus, as the Appellant's claims are denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional medical examination and development of records. The issues are whether he has current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus that were caused by exposure to acoustic trauma in service.

The Veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for tinnitus, as secondary to his service-connected bilateral hearing loss, is being remanded due to the need for additional development and clarification of medical opinions.

The Veteran withdrew his appeals on the claims of service connection for hearing loss in the right ear and a deviated nasal septum before the Board could make a decision.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a respiratory disorder, right ear hearing loss, chronic urinary tract infections, and bilateral wrist disorder. The Veteran is not entitled to service connection for these conditions as they are determined to be unrelated to her military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for a left knee disability, hearing loss, and COPD due to lack of evidence of current disabilities. The claim for service connection for a left knee injury was withdrawn by the Veteran.

The Board denied service connection for right ear hearing loss and lumbar spine disability, finding no evidence of a nexus to service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including scheduling a hearing and obtaining medical records. The issues of TDIU and service connection for irritable bowel syndrome will be reconsidered in light of the new evidence.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss, prostate cancer, and bladder cancer. The evidence did not show a current disability or establish a relationship between any of these conditions and service.

The Board has ordered a remand to obtain an addendum from the VA audiological examiner regarding the etiology of the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and whether it is related to service. The case will be returned for further development.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has been rated at 40 percent, which is the maximum schedular rating available. The Board finds that a higher evaluation is not warranted.

The Board granted service connection for the Veteran's right index finger disability and assigned a 10 percent rating effective from August 23, 2004. The claim for higher ratings for bilateral hearing loss was also addressed but not resolved in this decision.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current disability of bilateral hearing loss for VA purposes, and thus service connection is denied.