Hearing loss Board decisions

The Board has decided to remand the veteran's claims for increased rating and service connection due to incomplete information provided in the initial decision. The case will be returned to the RO for further action.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the veteran's current conditions are due to in-service acoustic trauma.

The veteran's PTSD is rated at 30 percent, and his bilateral hearing loss disability remains at 0 percent.

The veteran's service medical records are incomplete and do not show any complaints or findings related to hearing loss. The RO is instructed to obtain the veteran's service personnel records, including his DD-214s, and provide appropriate VCAA notice before readjudicating the claim.

The Board found that the veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss does not warrant a compensable rating at any time since the grant of service connection, and thus denied his claim for an initial compensable disability rating.

The Board has remanded the veteran's claims for service connection and evaluation of his hearing loss, malaria, PTSD, and depression due to procedural issues and the need for additional development.

The veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and a dental disorder are being remanded to obtain additional medical examinations and development of the record.

The Board found that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss did not warrant an initial rating greater than noncompensable, based on audiometric test results from October 1999 to July 2002.

The Board has remanded the veteran's claims for further development due to issues related to his hemorrhoids, hearing loss, and lumbar strain. The appeals on whether a timely appeal was filed on the neck and arm disorder issues have been dismissed.

The veteran's claims for an initial rating higher than 10 percent for his bilateral hearing loss and for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for this condition are being remanded due to procedural issues related to the Veterans Claims Assistance Act of 2000 (VCAA).

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim of service connection for back disability and granted service connection for PTSD. The claims for hip disability, bilateral hearing loss, and anxiety neurosis are denied.

The VA determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability does not warrant a compensable rating.

The Board denied a claim for an increased disability evaluation for hearing loss of the left ear, finding that the veteran's service-connected hearing loss did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating under VA's rating schedule.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his bilateral hearing loss and intervertebral disc syndrome with moderate degenerative changes, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating under the applicable VA criteria.

The Board has determined that additional development is required to substantiate the veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and bilateral hearing loss. The RO must verify the claimed stressors, obtain relevant medical records, and conduct a VA examination to determine if the veteran meets the criteria for service connection.

The Board denied service connection for left ear hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service.

The VA determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss does not warrant a compensable rating, resulting in a denial of his appeal.

The Board has determined that the case requires additional development to ensure compliance with VA's duty to assist and notification requirements, including obtaining medical records and verifying service dates.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including new VA examinations to assess his right knee and bilateral hearing impairment.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an earlier effective date of February 22, 2001 for a 20 percent disability evaluation for bilateral hearing loss. The decision found that there was no evidence showing an increase in disability prior to February 22, 2001.