Hearing loss decisions — 2013

The Board found no evidence of hearing loss or tinnitus during service and determined that the Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service. The claim for service connection was denied.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied as his current level of hearing impairment does not warrant a compensable rating.

The Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to January 16, 2002, for the grant of service connection for bilateral hearing loss is being remanded due to the failure to issue a Statement of the Case (SOC).

The Board has granted service connection for gouty arthritis and is remanding the claim of service connection for a bilateral hearing loss disability due to additional development.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability was not incurred or aggravated during his active service and denied his claim for accrued benefits.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss disability was denied as his hearing acuity did not warrant a higher than the current 80 percent rating. The claim for TDIU was also denied due to lack of evidence showing that he is precluded from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment due to service-connected disabilities.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's tinnitus is likely due to his exposure to hazardous noise levels during service. The hearing loss claim remains pending as there was no discharge examination report of record at this time.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus did not have their clinical onset in active service, nor are they causally related to active service. As such, the claims for service connection were denied.

The Veteran's service-connected low back disability and right leg radiculopathy have caused severe axonal peripheral neuropathy resulting in loss of use of both lower extremities, necessitating the use of braces, crutches, canes, or a wheelchair for mobility.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied. The Board found no evidence of a current disability, and the issues raised did not involve presumptive conditions or exposure to known environmental exposures.

The Board found that the Veteran does not have residuals of a head trauma, and denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, right elbow scar, and skin disability (to include as due to herbicide exposure) have been denied. The Board found no evidence of a current disability related to service or herbicide exposure.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the addition of relevant, non-duplicative evidence and the need for additional VA examination. The claim will be reconsidered based on this new information.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for a personal hearing before the Board of Veterans' Appeals due to his request. The issues include service connection, initial evaluations for PTSD and hearing loss, and TDIU.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss disability is related to his tinnitus, and grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to the RO for additional development, including scheduling a hearing before a Veterans Law Judge.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine if the Veteran's current hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his military service. The case will be remanded for further examination and opinion.

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 Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and residuals of a right hand burn have been reopened. The Board found new and material evidence to support these claims but denied service connection for the right hand burn as there is no credible evidence that it occurred in service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss does not warrant a higher rating as his disability is currently evaluated at 0 percent.