Hearing loss Board decisions

The Veteran's claim for reimbursement of medical expenses incurred at a private hospital in Kentucky due to a motorcycle accident is granted, as the treatment was necessary and VA facilities were not feasibly available.

The Veteran's claim for a TDIU was received on June 21, 2007. The Board found that it is not factually ascertainable during the year prior to June 21, 2007, that the Veteran was unemployable due to his service-connected disabilities.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his military service, resolving all reasonable doubt in favor of the Veteran.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hearing loss, left knee and ankle disabilities, low back disability, neck disability, right wrist disability, and migraine headaches was denied. The appeal is also denied regarding the TDIU claim.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's tinnitus is related to his military service, but his bilateral hearing loss is not. The decision grants service connection for tinnitus and denies service connection for hearing loss.

The Board finds that the evidence is in equipoise and grants service connection for bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's claims for service connection have been denied as the evidence does not support a finding that his claimed conditions are related to his active duty or to any service-connected disabilities.

The appellant is seeking a TDIU based on his service-connected disabilities, but the RO has not treated these conditions as arising from a single incident. The appeal is remanded to consider whether he is unemployable due to service-connected disability alone and to obtain SSA records.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining his complete service personnel file and any SSA records. A VA audiologist will be asked to provide an opinion on whether his current hearing loss is related to military noise exposure.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred or aggravated in active military service.

The Veteran's claim for an increased disability rating for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining VA medical records and scheduling a new audiological examination.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to fully and fairly consider the Veteran's claims, including obtaining medical opinions regarding the etiology of his claimed disabilities.

The Veteran's hypertension is not rated as compensable.,There is no evidence of a current right knee disability.,There is no evidence of a current right shoulder disability.,There is no evidence of a current right lung disability.,There is no evidence of a current cervical spine disability.,There is no evidence of a current thoracic spine disability.,The Veteran's hearing loss does not meet the criteria for service connection.,There is no evidence of residuals of burst left ear drum other than hearing loss.,PTSD was not incurred in or aggravated by service.,Tinnitus was not incurred in or aggravated by service.,A missing partial spinal cord and congenital tethered cord syndrome were not incurred in service.

The VA determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss does not warrant a compensable rating, as it is at Level I in both ears.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss and recurrent dislocation of the left shoulder with degenerative changes were denied. The Veteran was assigned a 30 percent rating for his service-connected conditions, which is the maximum schedular rating available under current VA regulations.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current hearing loss and tinnitus did not have their origin during his period of active military service. The VA audiologist's opinion was based on a full review of the claims file, including service medical records and VA examination reports. Therefore, service connection for bilateral hearing loss and chronic tinnitus is denied.

The Board has determined that the appellant's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to service, with a finding of current disability and in-service noise exposure. The claim for service connection is granted.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that new and material evidence had not been received to reopen the previously denied claim.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss, diagnosed during service and continuing to the present, is related to his in-service noise exposure. The Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of PTSD or any other psychiatric disability. There is no evidence linking erectile dysfunction to military service or Agent Orange exposure.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is rated at 40 percent, effective June 19, 2002. The right ankle disability was not found to be incurred or aggravated by service and thus denied.