Hearing loss Board decisions

The Board has found that the Veteran's tinnitus is related to active service, and thus granted service connection for tinnitus. The hearing loss claim remains pending.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of bilateral hearing loss was denied as no valid claim for this condition had been received prior to January 30, 2007.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability has been rated at 10 percent, and the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted based on the evidence of record.

The Board has remanded the claims of service connection for diabetes mellitus, PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and a cardiac disorder due to further evidentiary development. The Veteran is also given an opportunity to testify at a local VA office hearing.

The Veteran's hearing loss has been rated at 10 percent, the maximum rating available under the applicable VA Schedule for Rating Disabilities. The Board finds that his bilateral hearing loss does not warrant a higher rating.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining VA medical records and scheduling a respiratory examination. The Veteran's claims for service connection will be reconsidered after this additional development.

The Board has remanded the case to the AOJ for further development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a new examination. The Veteran's GERD claim is also being remanded.

The Veteran's hearing impairment is no worse than Level I in either ear, which corresponds to a 0 percent rating. The Board finds that the criteria for an initial compensable rating have not been met.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeal for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, and the Board does not have jurisdiction to review this claim.

The Veteran's service-connected PTSD, rated at 70 percent disabling, prevented him from securing and maintaining substantially gainful employment during the period from February 12, 2007 to February 23, 2009.

The Veteran's claim for service connection on all of his listed conditions was denied due to failure to report for scheduled VA examinations and insufficient evidence to establish service connection.

The Board found that the Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus were not related to his military service, including any in-service acoustic trauma or disease.

The Board is remanding the case for additional development to determine the etiology of the Veteran's current hearing loss and tinnitus.,The Board is also remanding the case for additional development to determine the etiology of the Veteran's gastrointestinal disability and neurologic disability of the upper and lower extremities, including consideration of presumed exposure to herbicides in service.,,VA will issue a decision on the remaining issues after completing the necessary development.

The Veteran has withdrawn his claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, as well as for an initial compensable rating for the scar, status post laceration of the chin.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to obtain additional service treatment records and VA treatment records, as well as to schedule the Veteran for a VA audiology and psychiatric examination. The claims will be re-adjudicated after these actions.

The Veteran's claim for service-connected compensation benefits for a spouse was denied because the effective date cannot be earlier than April 25, 2011, as he did not submit evidence of dependency within one year of notification of his December 2009 rating decision assigning a 40 percent disability rating for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has reopened the claims for service connection for hearing loss, right elbow disorder, and left elbow disorder due to new evidence received since the July 2006 rating decision. However, as these issues are still pending, no final determination can be made regarding their merits.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA audiological evaluation results and a new examination to assess the current severity of his bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine the current severity of the Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss, including by obtaining updated audiometric testing and clarifying whether speech recognition scores were conducted using the Maryland CNC test. The case will be returned to the RO for further action.

The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to incomplete evidence. The VA will need to obtain additional records from the Veteran's former employer, Chimney Rock Public Power District, and arrange for a new examination if necessary.