Hearing loss Board decisions

The Board has ordered a remand due to the need for additional medical records and an examination to evaluate the veteran's hearing loss disability.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and finds that it is established. The veteran's current hearing loss is found to be as likely as not due to noise exposure during his period of active duty service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining updated medical records and conducting a comprehensive audiological examination to determine the current severity of the veteran's bilateral hearing loss.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for reopening his service connection for bilateral hearing loss and also denied a higher rating for his hypogonadism.

The veteran's hearing loss is rated at 20 percent effective March 25, 2000 and remains at that level.

The Board has remanded the case due to an unclear VA medical opinion regarding whether the veteran's bilateral hearing loss is related to his military service. The claim will be reconsidered after a new examination and opinion are obtained.

The Board denied the appellant's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and a psychiatric disorder, finding that new and material evidence had not been submitted to reopen these claims.

The veteran's service-connected hearing loss disability does not preclude him from securing or following a substantially gainful occupation, as he has maintained employment despite his condition until his voluntary retirement at the age of 70. The Board denies the claim for TDIU.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for a separate compensable evaluation for bilateral hearing loss, which is a residual of his service-connected cerebrospinal meningitis. The VA audiometric evaluations showed that the veteran had level II hearing acuity in the right ear and level IV in the left ear, warranting a noncompensable evaluation under Diagnostic Code 6100.

The Board found no evidence of current bilateral hearing loss disability for VA purposes and denied the veteran's claim of service connection.

The veteran's lumbar canal stenosis, status-post decompressive laminectomies and bilateral foraminotomies at the L4-5 is rated at 40 percent effective March 10, 2006. His bilateral hearing loss has a zero percent rating since his claims were filed in 1998. The veteran's PTSD is rated at 30 percent effective June 9, 2006.

The Board found that the reduction of a rating evaluation for bilateral high frequency sensori-neural hearing loss from 40 percent to 10 percent was proper and the 10 percent disability rating remains effective from July 1, 2004.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a current disability of bilateral hearing loss or arteriosclerotic heart disease (ASHD) with angina that is service-connected. The evidence did not support his claims and he was denied service connection for these conditions.

The Board found that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred in or aggravated by service. The undifferentiated somatization disorder manifested by sleep disturbance and memory loss was also not shown to be related to service.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining a July 2005 VA examination and reviewing the November 2006 audiological examination.

The Board has granted a 20% evaluation for hearing loss from July 26, 2006. Prior to that date, the evidence does not warrant an evaluation in excess of 10%. The appeal is denied prior to July 26, 2006.

The veteran's claim for a higher disability rating for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss is being remanded due to the need for additional examination and treatment records.

The Board denied a compensable rating for the service-connected bilateral hearing loss, finding that the veteran's current disability does not warrant such a rating based on his July 2005 VA audiological examination results.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a current disability related to his period of active duty service for any of the conditions he is seeking service connection for, including left and right knee injuries, left and right ankle injuries, hepatitis, head injury, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, cervical spine disability, and lumbar spine disability. The Board has also determined that there is no evidence of a nexus between these disabilities and his period of active duty.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and a perforated right ear drum in August 1998. The veteran attempted to reopen the claims, but new and material evidence was not submitted, resulting in denial of both claims.