Hearing loss decisions — 2000

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and the claim to reopen a claim for residuals of injury to the left hand. The veteran's current conditions are not well-grounded.

The VA denied the veteran's claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there was no evidence linking his current hearing disability to his military service.

The veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied as there is no competent evidence linking the current disability to his period of active military service or the one-year presumptive period for the development of sensorineural hearing loss.

The Board of Veterans' Appeals has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss is service-connected due to exposure to acoustic trauma during his military service.

The veteran's sarcoidosis is currently evaluated as 30 percent disabling from May 26, 1999.,Prior to July 23, 1996, the right inguinal hernia was rated as noncompensably disabling. From September 1, 1996, bilateral inguinal hernias are evaluated at a 40 percent rating.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for various service-connected disabilities, finding that his claims were not well-grounded and thus did not meet the initial burden of proof.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability, tinnitus, and Meniere's disease are not service-connected. The RO denied these claims in December 1992 due to lack of evidence connecting them to service.

The Board denied the claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability due to a lack of competent evidence showing current hearing loss disability or linking it to service.

The veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of a concussion and bilateral hearing loss have been granted, with effective dates set at May 11, 1968 and March 15, 1995 respectively.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his military service, specifically noise exposure during active duty. The claims for service connection are granted.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and granted a 50 percent evaluation for PTSD. The claims for diabetes, residuals of worms, and increased PTSD have been rendered moot by other decisions.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss is well-grounded and remanded to the RO for further development.

The Board finds that the veteran's hearing loss in the left ear is related to in-service noise exposure and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss, bilateral foot disability, and headaches are not well grounded. The claim for a higher original rating for residuals of a shell fragment wound of the left neck is granted.

The Board found that the veteran's service-connected nasal injury with deviated septum has aggravated his sleep apnea. The claim for bilateral hearing loss disability is not well-grounded due to lack of evidence showing a compensable degree of hearing loss within one year after separation from service.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings and a compensable rating for his hearing loss, as well as an earlier effective date for the grants of service connection for tinnitus and right ear hearing loss, are denied.

The VA determined that the veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is not related to his service, as there was no evidence of noise exposure during service and the medical opinion concluded that the hearing loss did not likely result from service. The claim for service connection was therefore denied.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss but denied the claims of entitlement to increased ratings and reopening a claim for degenerative joint disease of the right knee. The issue of clear and unmistakable error in rating decisions is pending.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and a respiratory disorder, finding that there was no competent medical evidence linking these conditions to his period of active service or to his exposure to ionizing radiation in service.