Tinnitus And Hearing Loss Claim

[danang_1969]

Getting things ready to reopen a new tinnitus and hearing loss claim. Need info.

Here is what I have now.

1.Claimant or Veterna's statement of hours of extreme noise with no ear protection provided.

2.Two buddy letters stating I was exposed as to extreme noise numerous hours with no ear protection.

3.Private audiologist hearing test chart and results saying hearing loss from acoustical trauma.

4.Example chart of high frequency loss test chart that matches my test chart almost exactly.

4.NEW EVIDENT: VA Ear Nose and Throat Specialist records saying hearing loss and tinnitus from acoustical trauma that happened many many years ago. Need hearing aids or surgery to correct both. Scheduled for hearing aid setup.

Been denied 3 times on this condition. Two different C&P's exams from same VA doctor saying hearing loss and tinnitus is from old age and SSOC said no connection to military service.

What else do I need?

[danang_1969]

I do not recommend waiting out of fear that it will hold up your other claims. I recommend you apply now, and establish an effective date. The longer you wait, the less money you will get.

I say that because I did exactly that myself. Learning the hard way, it did not speed up my claim. NOTHING SPEEDS UP A VA CLAIM. I wrote them and told them I was about to be homeless, please speed up my claim. They delayed my claim more, trying to decide if my claim was worthy of a priority status. The VA works on a 3 D system. Delay, Deny, Discredit. Only the 7 P's can beat the 3D's.

The seven P's are: Proper Preperation Prevents Poor Performance. Then aPPEAL. Then Persist.

It really is an endurance contest with the VA. It really is better for some people to give up..you have to fight for every nickel with the VA. Decide if it is going to be worth a minimum of a five year fight for your benefits. Mine is going on its seventh year and no end in sight. What they did with me, is they denied..I appealed. DRO review..denied again. I appealed. BVA approved. Regional Office grants zero percent. I appeal. Regional office misinterprets appeal as claim for benefits and awards 40%. I file writ of mandamus demanding they do something with 2004 NOD in 2008. They said my appeal was interpreted as a benefit claim. I appeal that decision, demonstrating that my NOD met regulations for an NOD. It goes on, and on and on...they fight you tooth and nail even after you win at the BVA. They will spend $100,000 on lawyers to keep from spending $10,000 worth of benefits to you. Its the government way.

You are probably right on adding a condition will not delay anything but I talked with a RO lady and she said the appeals team had my claim now and was working on it and if I added anything now could slow the process down. The VA have lied to me many times before but I going to give them another month or so before I add file on the hearing and tinnitus. If they had not of split my claim up into three parts in the beginning, it would not have gotten so confusing. Thanks for the info and comments.

[hmcquade]

Here is how I got my SC for Tinnitus after being deneid in 2003. I got a DAV rep. who told me to get an audiologist to state that is is as least as likely that my tinnitus is service connected and we sent that letter in with a new claim.

Unfortunately the application sat on someones desk for a year until I emailed the DAV rep and asked him wnat happend. He immediately looked into it and a weel later received a leeter form the VA in Saginaw michigan that I was to get a hearing test with one of thier contacted agencies. Before I went for the test I prepared a detailed letter of all the the things that happpend to me with regard to noise exposure in the Army.

I gave that letter to the Audiologist, she interviewed me, and gave me a hearing test. Several months later I had a check in the mail form the VA along with my approval letter. Only problem the VA will not go back to when I first applied in 2002 and I am fighting that now.

Keep trying.

Best,

Hugh

[matt]

i have a question regarding this subject of hearing loss and tinittius. I was SC'ed for tinittus awarded 10% and hearing loss SC'ed awarded 0%. yeah, i am redleg, go figure i have hearing loss. My wife always thought i was just ignoring her....whelp I might have been, just a little.....anyways, is it true that the VA will nto pay out a darn thing for hearing loss until you are viewed completely deaf or can they percentage rate like other disabilities: 10%, 20%, 30%....

I

[matt]

wasn't done with my question and my browser loaded it. i am positive it is human error, however, I have been meaning to make an appointment with my reg dr with the VA to talk about the possibility of getting hearing aids. However, I must say i am apposed of putting on these clunky over the ear ones, that kinda looks like they tell the world that i am hard of hearing and people need to shout when they talk to me, like i am from a foriegn country..

matt

[12R3G]

Matt

0% for hearing or 10% for anything will get you hearing aids from the VA...Like you, I have 0% for hearing and 10% for tinnitus.

I have no idea what the VA issues for hearing aids. My son has one that we got privately. It's an over the ear model, but the newer ones are extremely small and light (hardly see it to be honest) with a virtually invisible, really tiny tube from the hearing aid to the little speaker (or whatever) that plugs into the ear.

The crazy thing is the audiologist hooks the thing up to his computer (there is an incredibly small hole for the connecter) and reads usage data, and can reprogram the thing right there in his office.

Oh, hearing is percentage rated, but its seems you have to be pretty deaf to get above zero--so I've heard, anyway.

[matt]

12r3g,

Thanks for the info. Yeah, I was afraid of the problem that you practically have to be stone deaf to get a rating above 0%. Not sure what type of hearing aids the VA is giving out these days, however thinking that anybody with a 10% rating is approved fro them, that tells me they are going like hotcakes. as for seeing a private vendor, heck i am having trouble coming up with daycare money each month, so at this juncture in my life shelling out cash for things regardless of their need, we have to prioritize the need these days. especially whtith e economy in the can and no jobs and only being 60%, there is no extra money at the end of the month. i was highly disappointed with my 60% combined rating, but what you going to do....

my vso reopened a claim i had regarding degenerative disk disease in my L3-L4-L5 and S1. Which was originally denied due to only having a sentence on my active duty exit interview stating i had back pain, then my 5 year physical 1 year stated no problems. However, this itme i included a IMO from my family dr, who originally saw me for this 1 year later and started sending me to specialist. as well as an increase in my PTSD claim sc'ed at 50%. so we shall see.

Called the VA regarding the reopened claim's 2 days ago and the rep(the most unfriedliest one i have ever talked with) stated that the VA was ready to make a decision. It was an awkward feeling knowing that it was only received as of July 24th. something tells me that the ddd will be denied again and the PTSD increase will be denied....it is a miricle that my county has this wonderful thing called VSO and my VSO was actually one of my troops from the last time we deployed to IRAQ..

Matt