Hearing loss Board decisions

The veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus and bilateral hearing loss are being remanded due to procedural deficiencies in the notification provided under the VCAA.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for higher initial ratings for hiatal hernia with gastroesophageal reflux and bilateral hearing loss, finding that the current ratings adequately reflected the severity of his disabilities. The service connection claims for pulmonary fibrosis and tuberculosis were also denied.

The VA determined that there is no evidence of current bilateral hearing loss or tinnitus present at separation from service. The veteran's current conditions are not related to service.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a current hearing loss disability for VA purposes and there is no evidence of sinusitis or gastroenteritis during service. Therefore, service connection for these conditions cannot be granted.

The veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to incomplete service medical records and the need for further development.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss and right arm shell fragment wound residuals were denied. The RO found that the evidence did not support a higher evaluation.

The Board denied service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, and residuals of a left eye injury (including macular degeneration, cataracts, glaucoma, and uveitis) as new and material evidence was not submitted to reopen these claims.

The Board has determined that the veteran's left ear hearing loss was aggravated by his military service and granted service connection for this condition. The grant of service connection for tinnitus is also confirmed.

The Board denied a higher disability rating for bilateral hearing loss, finding that the veteran's current level of hearing acuity warrants an 80% evaluation. The effective date for TDIU was not addressed as it pertained to a different issue.

The Board has determined that the veteran's substantive appeals with respect to the issues of service connection for a back condition, including osteoarthritis and residuals of laminectomy; osteoarthritis of both knees; hearing loss; and tinnitus were not adequate. The appeal is now vacated due to the Court's order terminating the appeal.

The veteran's death was not service-connected, and the Board denied dependency and indemnity compensation under section 1318 due to lack of entitlement based on his combined disability evaluation.

The Board found that the veteran's fungus disability of the hands and feet was not incurred in or aggravated by active service, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and conducting examinations to assess the veteran's hearing loss and psychiatric condition.

The Board found that the veteran did not have a current disability of bilateral hearing loss that was incurred or aggravated by active service. The evidence showed no in-service hearing loss and no medical opinion linking current hearing loss to service.

The Board has granted a 30 percent evaluation for the left inguinal hernia effective May 2001. The veteran's service-connected prostate cancer is found to be the proximate cause of his hypogonadism, and he is granted secondary service connection for this condition.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for trench foot and granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss with an effective date of July 23, 2001. The decision also noted that the February 1946 rating decision denying service connection for hearing loss was not clearly and unmistakably erroneous.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, low back condition, and prostate condition have been denied as new and material evidence was not submitted to reopen these previously denied claims.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, warranting a total disability rating based on individual unemployability.

The Board finds that the appellant's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his military service, specifically noise exposure during his time as a radar operator in Vietnam. As such, the claims for service connection are granted.