Hearing loss decisions — 2000

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been presented to reopen the veteran's claim for service connection for right ear hearing loss, which was previously denied in November 1959.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for a left ear disability, including otitis media with hearing loss. The right ear hearing loss disability is currently rated at 10 percent.

The veteran has a current right ear hearing loss disability that is related to his active military service. The issue of an effective date earlier than February 16, 1993 for a 100 percent rating for PTSD with organic brain syndrome and depression remains unresolved as the criteria have not been met.

The VA denied the veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding no competent medical evidence linking his current hearing disability to his period of active duty.

The Board has found that new and material evidence has been presented to reopen the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. The RO must now provide additional medical opinions regarding the etiology of these conditions.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus as his claims are not well-grounded due to lack of medical evidence linking these conditions to an incident of service.

The Board found that the veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability has not been shown by competent medical evidence to be causally or etiologically related to service, including exposure to acoustic trauma in service. Therefore, the claim of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for loss of vision, bilateral hearing loss, acquired psychiatric disorder, diabetes mellitus, low back disorder, left knee disorder, right elbow disorder, and arteriosclerotic heart disease. The appeals were not well-grounded.

The Board has granted service connection for depressive disorder as secondary to the veteran's service-connected disabilities, but denied an initial compensable evaluation for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board found that the appellant's bilateral hearing loss disability is not of compensable severity and denied his claim for an increased evaluation. The Board also determined that there was no evidence to support a service connection for tinnitus, as the appellant did not submit medical evidence linking any current tinnitus to service or a service-connected condition.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the schedular requirements for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability, and there is no evidence in the file to warrant referral of the claim for extra-schedular consideration.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for eligibility to receive VA disability benefits due to a lack of evidence showing he served on active duty or experienced noise exposure during ACDUTRA or INACDUTRA, which would qualify him as a veteran and allow him to seek service connection.

The Board found no evidence of a current disability and denied the veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board found no evidence linking the veteran's current hearing loss to his military service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Board found that the veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss was not well-grounded due to a lack of medical evidence linking his current hearing loss to his active service, including an ear infection in 1948.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including bilateral hearing loss and undiagnosed illness-related disabilities, are not well-grounded. The claim of entitlement to a rating in excess of 20 percent for lumbosacral strain with degenerative changes is also denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for a right knee disorder, left shoulder disorder, and hearing loss. The decision also held that new and material evidence had not been submitted to reopen a claim of entitlement to service connection for a right shoulder disorder.

The Board denied the veteran's attempts to reopen his claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and to increase his evaluation for right ankle fracture residuals. The evidence submitted since the November 1991 denial did not provide new and material evidence to support reopening the claim.

The veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently rated at 20 percent, and a higher rating of 40 percent is granted effective June 10, 1999.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to exposure to acoustic trauma during combat in Vietnam. The evidence supports a finding that his current hearing disability is related to service, and thus service connection is granted.