Hearing loss decisions — 2013

The Veteran's combined rating of 70 percent due to service-connected disabilities does not meet the criteria for a TDIU as his disorders do not preclude him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not preclude him from obtaining and retaining substantially gainful employment.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for a back disability was denied, and his initial rating for bilateral hearing loss was granted but assigned a non-compensable evaluation.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was evaluated at Level IV in both ears, resulting in a 10% evaluation. The claim for an increased rating above this level is denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss, left knee disorder, and right knee disorder. The Board found that there was no evidence of a nexus between these conditions and his military service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss was denied previously. The Board granted the Veteran special monthly pension based on need for aid and attendance/housebound benefits, considering his condition as bedridden due to post traumatic arthritis of the left foot.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied. The Veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus is also denied as the current schedular evaluation is adequate.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development due to missing service records and unavailability of private treatment records. The case will be reviewed after the necessary steps are taken.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for specially adapted housing, special home adaptation assistance, or financial assistance in purchasing an automobile and adaptive equipment.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for a lumbar spine disability and determined that new evidence supports this reopening. The Veteran does not have any of the claimed conditions, including back, knee, foot, elbow, hearing loss, tinnitus, diabetes mellitus type 2, heart disease, or psychiatric disorders, that were incurred in or aggravated by his service.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing disability has been evaluated at a 10 percent rating since its initial grant. The Board finds that the current evidence does not support an increase in this evaluation.

The Board has granted service connection for Type II Diabetes Mellitus due to presumed exposure in Vietnam. However, bilateral hearing loss was not shown to be related to service or presumptively linked to herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss was denied as there is no evidence of a current disability that can be linked to his military service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for tinnitus has been granted. The Board found that the evidence was in equipoise, and therefore determined that it is as likely as not that the Veteran's current tinnitus disability is related to his military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current bilateral hearing loss disability or tinnitus due to service, and thus denied both claims.

The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss has been denied as the evidence does not support a finding of severe enough impairment to warrant compensation.,There is no evidence of record that the Veteran currently experiences a sleep disorder, and thus his service connection claim for a sleep disorder has also been denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection have been denied. The issues of depression, nerve damage, liver condition, tuberculosis, and scars of the right eye, neck, and head were not pursued further as the appellant withdrew these claims.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various disabilities, including hearing loss and spine conditions, were denied as there was no evidence of in-service injury or disease that would support the current diagnoses.,Service connection could not be established for any of the claimed disabilities due to a lack of credible evidence linking them to service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss, at worst, is manifested by Level I hearing acuity in both ears and does not warrant an initial compensable evaluation. The criteria for a higher rating have not been met.

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