Hearing loss Board decisions

The veteran's claims for a higher evaluation for bilateral hearing loss and earlier effective dates for the grants of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are being remanded due to incomplete records.

The veteran's claims for hearing loss, tinnitus, and a chronic disability manifested by impaired balance are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder and hearing loss. The Board found no competent evidence to associate current hearing loss with in-service events or diseases, including a head injury sustained during active duty.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss and an effective date prior to November 27, 2001, for the grant of service connection for status post trauma, right upper eyelid, with secondary ptosis and thickening of the lid.,There is no current evidence of a hearing loss disability under VA regulations. The veteran did not submit a claim for this condition prior to November 27, 2001.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for a Travel Board hearing at the Newark, New Jersey RO. The claims for service connection are pending and will be addressed after the hearing.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss, hypertension, gout, left knee degenerative joint disease, right knee degenerative joint disease, and thoracolumbar spine degenerative joint disease were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss or any higher ratings for the other conditions.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded due to inadequate notice and the need for additional development, including a hearing on appeal, examination of his hearing loss, and attempts to obtain service medical records.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and conducting examinations to determine the nature and etiology of the veteran's claimed conditions.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to service, and thus denied his claims for service connection.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board has remanded the case to the RO for initial consideration of new evidence in support of the veteran's left ear hearing loss claim, and to review all claims together.

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

The veteran died in May 2005 due to congestive heart failure. At the time of his death, he had two service-connected disabilities: bilateral hearing loss rated at 100% and scars on the eardrums secondary to surgery for otosclerosis with symptoms of vertigo and tinnitus rated at 10%. The veteran did not have total disability for a period of ten or more years immediately preceding his death, nor did he have total disability for at least five years from the date of his separation from service. Therefore, DIC benefits pursuant to 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318 are denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claim for service connection for disability manifested by tingling of the extremities must be denied. The evidence does not show a current disability, and no competent evidence links it to in-service exposure to herbicides or any other event, injury, or disease.

The veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently rated at 20 percent, and the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted based on the evidence.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his military service, and thus denied both claims for service connection.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current hearing loss and tinnitus are causally related to his active service, including exposure to noise during service. As such, the claims for service connection have been granted.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a current disability of chest pain, hearing loss, folliculitis of the neck, memory loss and difficulty with concentration, or fatigue. Therefore, service connection for these conditions is denied.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, effective August 22, 2005. The veteran's claim was reopened and the rating assigned is 10 percent.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss is at least in part caused by noise exposure during his military service, and therefore grants service connection for this condition.