Hearing loss decisions — 2000

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss and left ear tinnitus are related to his military service, with evidence showing acoustic trauma during service. Therefore, service connection is granted for these conditions.

The Board has determined that the veteran's pre-existing left ear hearing loss was aggravated by his period of active duty, and right ear hearing loss and tinnitus were incurred in or aggravated by service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for right ear hearing loss and residuals of a left leg injury as they were not well-grounded, based on lack of medical evidence supporting these claims.

The veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is determined to be due to noise exposure in service, and the Board grants service connection for this condition.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including right ear hearing loss, a perforated ear drum, residuals of a right ankle fracture, hepatitis, and other injuries. The RO affirmed these determinations.

The Board denied an increased evaluation for chronic left ear otitis media with perforation of the tympanic membrane and a compensable evaluation for bilateral hearing loss disability.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a well-grounded claim for service connection for hearing loss, protein in urine, elevated cholesterol, right knee disability, or bilateral ankle disorder. The claims are therefore denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not well-grounded, as there is no evidence showing a medical nexus between his current disabilities and his military service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss does not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation, and thus denies an initial compensable evaluation.

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

The Board denied the veteran's claims of service connection for hearing loss and bilateral knee disability, finding that new and material evidence had not been submitted to reopen the hearing loss claim. The knee issues were found to be acute and transitory with no residual disability.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection due to a lack of medical evidence showing a current disability and no in-service injury or condition that could be linked to his claimed conditions.

The veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including bilateral shin splints, a low back disability, a left leg disability as secondary to a low back disability, eczema (skin disorder), a right wrist disability, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus were denied. The Board found that the veteran did not submit competent evidence to show plausible claims for these conditions.

The Board is remanding the case to consider whether new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen a claim for service connection for right ear hearing loss disability.

The veteran's service connection for alopecia areata and left shoulder disability was granted. The left shoulder disability received a 20% evaluation, while the bilateral chondromalacia patella and bilateral hearing loss were denied.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development and evaluation of the veteran's service-connected disabilities, including his right ulnar nerve injury and scars. The claims of whether new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen various claims have also been addressed.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of a skull fracture and an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss. The effective date for service connection for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was not granted prior to January 30, 1997.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a right hand disorder, hearing loss, and a cervical spine disorder as they are not well-grounded.

The veteran is seeking service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, which he claims are related to exposure to noise during service. The case has been remanded due to incomplete information from a previous VA examination.