Hearing loss decisions — 2000

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss does not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation under VA rating criteria.

The veteran's appeal was denied as his service-connected bilateral sensorineural hearing loss disability did not render him unemployable.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and spina bifida occulta (claimed as back pain sacralization of the fifth lumbar vertebra) due to a lack of well-grounded evidence.

The Board has granted a 30 percent evaluation for the veteran's bilateral hearing loss, effective from July 11, 1995. The appeal regarding an earlier effective date is denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for service connection are not well grounded as there is no medical evidence of current diagnoses or a nexus between his claimed conditions and his military service.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the relationship between the veteran's tinnitus and service, including a lack of contact with Dr. T.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for a compensable evaluation for his service-connected anxiety psychoneurosis and service connection for residuals of cerebral vascular accident, respiratory disorder, hearing loss, and tinnitus. The decision found that these conditions were not related to his service-connected psychiatric disability.

The veteran's defective hearing in the left ear was incurred during service and is presumed to have been incurred due to exposure to acoustic trauma. Service connection for this condition has been granted.

The veteran's claim for an increased evaluation of his service-connected hearing loss disability was denied by the RO, and this decision is being remanded to allow for further development.

The veteran's appeals for increased evaluations and service connection were denied. The issues of arthritis of the knees, bilateral ankle condition (claimed as arthritis), bilateral hip condition, and hearing loss, right ear are dismissed due to withdrawal by the appellant.

The Board found that the veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss, a stomach disorder, and lumbosacral strain are not well-grounded. The medical evidence did not demonstrate current disabilities for these conditions.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that new and material evidence had not been presented to reopen the claim for hearing loss and concluding that there was no competent medical evidence linking either condition to service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for service connection for a pulmonary disorder, skin condition, sinusitis, and headaches are not well grounded. The claim for sleep apnea is granted as it was incurred in service.

The Board has determined that the claim for service connection for hearing loss is well grounded and has been granted.

The Board found that the veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus were not well-grounded, as there was no evidence linking these conditions to military service or any other valid basis.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to noise exposure during his military service, thus granting service connection for both conditions.

The veteran's appeal is dismissed due to his death.

The Board has granted the veteran's claim for service connection for chronic lumbar syndrome and denied his claims for residuals of a left ankle injury, hearing loss, and visual impairment.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss, bronchitis, heart disease, and hypertension are not well grounded. The evidence does not support a finding of current disability or a link to military service.

The Board has determined that the appellant's claims for service connection for a circulation disorder, hearing loss, left ear, a bladder disorder, a low back disorder, chronic sinusitis, and otitis media, left ear are not well grounded. The claim for service connection for a bilateral knee disorder is granted as it was established during active duty.