Hearing loss Board decisions

The Board has determined that the reduction of a 10 percent rating for bilateral hearing loss to 0 percent was proper, effective April 1, 2009.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection have been denied. The effective date of the TDIU award is July 28, 1993.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, as well as his claim for a higher rating for his left knee disability, are being remanded due to the need for additional development.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has not been shown to warrant a rating higher than the current 10 percent assigned.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for initial compensable and excess of 10 percent ratings for service-connected bilateral hearing loss, as well as his claim for service connection for hypertension secondary to diabetes mellitus.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been reopened, and both conditions are found to be incurred in service.

The Veteran's initial noncompensable rating for bilateral hearing loss has been denied as his audiometric test results do not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities (bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus) rendered him unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment, warranting a TDIU.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss did not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation under VA rating criteria, and thus denied his claim.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and providing the Veteran with a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of his claimed bilateral hearing loss and skin disorder.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, a lumbar spine disorder, a right hip disorder, and a right knee disorder. The Board found no evidence of in-service injury or disease related to these conditions.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development regarding his claims of service connection for lichen planus and bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeals for all issues currently under consideration, and the Board does not have jurisdiction to review them.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining records of his Air Force Reserves service and a new VA medical opinion.

The Board found that the reduction of the disability rating for the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss from 40 percent to 30 percent was proper based on evidence showing that the criteria for a 40 percent rating were no longer met.

The Veteran's acquired psychiatric disorder, including PTSD, is related to his service in Vietnam. His bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are presumed to be due to acoustic trauma during service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling examinations to determine the etiology of his claimed disabilities.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claim for service connection for a bilateral hearing loss disability needs further examination and review, as the April 2010 VA audiological opinion is based on incomplete information. The case is REMANDED to allow for additional development.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss has been evaluated as noncompensable since December 11, 2006. The VA audiological examinations conducted in November 2007 and March 2011 showed mild to moderate high frequency sensorineural hearing loss with good speech recognition.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and TDIU are being remanded due to the need for additional examinations, as well as obtaining relevant VA treatment records.