Hearing loss Board decisions

The veteran's appeal is being remanded to the RO due to procedural defects in notification and scheduling of a videoconference hearing.

The Board has found that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss is not related to his active service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has granted a 100 percent evaluation for the service-connected psychiatric disability, effective from the date of the claim. The veteran's other claims (for hearing loss, pulmonary disability, arthritis, and prostate cancer) are not addressed as he withdrew his appeals regarding these issues.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a current disability for which service connection can be granted, and therefore denied his claims.

The VA determined that the veteran's hearing loss did not warrant a compensable evaluation, as his audiometric results showed mild to moderately severe sensorineural hearing loss in both ears.

The veteran's initial claim for a higher evaluation of his service-connected bilateral hearing loss was granted, with the effective date set at February 28, 2002. The rating was increased to 40 percent from September 17, 2004.

The Board finds that the preponderance of evidence is against the veteran's claim for service connection for Meniere's disease, as there is no in-service diagnosis or treatment related to this condition. The veteran was not diagnosed with Meniere's disease until many years after his separation from active duty.

The VA denied the veteran's claim for a higher rating for his bilateral hearing loss, assigning a noncompensable evaluation.

The veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including a right shoulder disorder, arm disorders, hip disorders, back and leg disorders, tinnitus, hearing loss, abdominal issues, penile numbness, and skin disorders related to herbicide exposure, were denied as there is no current medical evidence of these conditions. The veteran sustained fractures of his left ribs during INACDUTRA in 1991.

The Board found that the veteran's current bilateral hearing loss was not incurred in or aggravated by active service, and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Board found that the veteran is entitled to a 10 percent evaluation for bilateral hearing loss with tinnitus, as his current hearing loss does not warrant a higher rating.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an effective date prior to June 4, 2003, for total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities. The evidence did not show that he was unemployable within a year before his August 26, 2002 informal claim.

The veteran's claims for service connection were denied as his conditions are not shown to be related to military service.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities have been granted health care benefits under Chapter 17 of the Veterans' Benefits Act.

The case is being remanded for additional development of the medical evidence, including obtaining service medical records and scheduling VA examinations to determine if the veteran's claimed disabilities are related to his military service.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from obtaining substantially gainful employment.

The veteran's claims for higher initial ratings for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, as well as his claim for special monthly pension based on the need for regular aid and attendance or by reason of being housebound, were all denied. The VA found that the evidence did not support a compensable rating for hearing loss or separate 10 percent ratings for tinnitus in each ear.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss and respiratory residuals from asbestos exposure, but denied these claims. The ankle disorder claim was also denied.

The Board finds that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss is likely due to noise exposure experienced in connection with his military service, and grants service connection for this condition.