Hearing loss Board decisions

The Board has granted a rating of 30 percent for bilateral hearing loss from October 29, 2004 onwards. The veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss was rated as noncompensable for the period from September 19, 2001 to April 23, 2003 and as 10 percent thereafter.

The Board has determined that the appellant does not have a current hearing loss disability as defined by VA regulations, and therefore service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability is denied.

The VA determined that the veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unemployable, and thus denied his claim for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability.

The veteran's claims for higher initial evaluations for rupture of the left Achilles tendon and bilateral hearing loss were denied. Service connection was not established for tendonitis of the left elbow, disability of the thoracic spine, disability of the left great toe, or disability of the right shoulder.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have hearing loss, disability manifested by numbness in fingers, or respiratory disability as a result of service. The claims for these conditions are therefore denied.

The veteran's claim for an effective date prior to May 31, 2001, for a 30 percent evaluation of his service-connected bilateral hearing loss was denied by the Board. The RO assigned this rating based on evidence from December 2001, and since no earlier effective date is supported by the record, the claim is denied.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, but denied both the reopening and the merits of the claim. The decision regarding tinnitus was also denied.

The Board denied all claims, including the initial rating for PTSD and the initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss. Service connection was also denied for asthma, DDD/DJD of the lumbar spine, and steatocystoma multiplex.

The Board has granted service connection for hearing loss of the right ear, finding that it was aggravated during a period of active military service.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. For bilateral hearing loss, a noncompensable evaluation is assigned since the effective date of March 3, 2004. Service connection for tinnitus is granted.

The Board finds that the veteran's service-connected conditions do not prevent him from engaging in substantially gainful employment, and thus denies his claim for a TDIU.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete records and the need for a VA examination.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a disability due to impaired hearing for VA purposes and his tinnitus is not related to service. The claim for lumbosacral strain, to include as secondary to a service-connected left foot disorder, is remanded for further development.

The Board has determined that the veteran's hearing loss, tinnitus, and right knee disability are not related to service. Therefore, service connection for these conditions is denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including diabetes mellitus, hypertension, a skin disorder, hypercholesterolemia or high cholesterol, bilateral hearing loss, bladder disorder, retinal detachment, bilateral cataracts, and loss of eyesight, all claimed as due to exposure to Agent Orange. The Board found no evidence of in-service exposure to Agent Orange and thus denied presumptive service connection for these conditions.

The veteran's appeal has been withdrawn, and the case is dismissed.

The case is being remanded for the proper adjudication of 'staged' ratings, including locating and authenticating medical reports that are the bases for these ratings. Effective dates will also need to be addressed.

The Board finds that the evidence does not demonstrate that the veteran is unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation solely due to his service-connected disabilities, and therefore, entitlement to TDIU is denied.

The case is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and medical examinations to assess the veteran's hearing loss, PTSD, left foot disability, scar, and left hip/leg pain.

The veteran is seeking service connection for injuries to his right ear and bilateral hearing loss, which he claims are related to an in-service injury. The Board has ordered additional development including obtaining the veteran's service personnel records and any associated medical records from his time as a merchant mariner.