Hearing loss Board decisions

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus are being remanded due to the need for a more definitive medical opinion regarding their etiology.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his military service. His acquired psychiatric disorders, including PTSD, were not incurred in or aggravated by service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for updated VA treatment records and a compensation examination. The claim will be readjudicated after these actions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not service-connected, as there is no clear and unmistakable evidence of pre-existing conditions at entry into service. The medical opinions provided do not support a finding that these conditions were incurred during active duty.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are being remanded due to the need for further development, including obtaining service personnel records and conducting VA examinations.

The Veteran's appeals for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss, service connection for color blindness, and service connection for diabetes mellitus were dismissed as the Veteran withdrew his appeals. The Board found that there was no evidence of diabetes mellitus in service or within one year post-service, thus denying service connection for diabetes mellitus.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding no evidence of a qualifying disability in either ear or showing that these conditions were incurred during active service.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus were not incurred in or aggravated by service, and thus denied both claims.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of a cold injury was denied. His claims for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss and PTSD were also denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his active service, and thus denied both claims.

The Board has determined that the reduction of the evaluation for bilateral hearing loss from 10 percent to non-compensably disabling was proper, and thus denied the Veteran's request to restore a 10 percent evaluation.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred in or aggravated by his military service, nor may they be presumed to have been so incurred.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for shrapnel wounds of the right and left legs were denied. The bilateral hearing loss disability was found to be zero percent disabling.

The Board found no evidence of right ear hearing loss during service and denied the claim for service connection.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for arthritis over the body and right ear hearing loss were denied. The Board found that there was no evidence to support a finding that these conditions had their onset in service or within one year of service, and thus could not be presumed to be related to active military service.

The Veteran's hearing loss, hemorrhoids, and pes planus were evaluated by the Board but found not to meet the criteria for a compensable disability rating.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the Veteran's claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The criteria for service connection have been met, and the Veteran is granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss. Additionally, the Board found that the Veteran is entitled to a compensable disability rating for his temporomandibular joint dysfunction prior to July 16, 1994, but not greater than 20 percent from July 16, 1994, to November 15, 2001, and not greater than 30 percent from November 15, 2001, to January 28, 2004.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are dismissed as the claim for depression is part and parcel of his already service-connected PTSD. The Board finds no allegations of errors of fact or law to review.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were denied as there is no evidence of a nexus between the current conditions and service, including exposure to noise during combat.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining medical records and considering his claim for a TDIU. His service-connected disabilities include PTSD, hearing loss, left hand disabilities, tinnitus, and scars.