Hearing loss decisions — 2000

The VA determined that the appellant's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from engaging in substantially gainful employment based on his educational attainment and occupational experience.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the veteran's claim for service connection of a bilateral hearing loss disability. The Board also finds that the current hearing loss is likely due to noise exposure during military service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's right ear hearing loss is not related to his military service, including any noise exposure or in-service hemorrhagic lesion. The evidence does not support a finding of service connection for this condition.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for increased evaluations for his service-connected left knee injury, bilateral hearing loss, and right dorsal wrist ganglion cyst. The conditions do not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation under applicable rating criteria.

The Board has denied the veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss as his claim is not well grounded.

The Board denied the claim of entitlement to service connection for hearing loss of the right ear in December 1989. The case was reopened and reconsidered, but new evidence did not meet the criteria for reopening the claim.

The VA determined that the veteran's right ear hearing loss does not warrant a compensable rating under either the old or new regulations.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus with an effective date of February 26, 1997. The veteran's left thumb fracture residuals and bilateral hearing loss are currently evaluated as they were at the time of the October 1993 rating decision.

The veteran timely initiated an appeal of the May 2, 1997 rating decision denying his claims for service connection for a bilateral knee disorder, hearing loss and a stomach ulcer. The RO's denial is now considered valid.

The VA determined that the veteran's left ear hearing loss does not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation under either the old or new rating criteria.

The VA denied the veteran's claim for service connection of bilateral hearing loss, finding no competent medical evidence linking his current condition to his military service.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not meet the schedular criteria for a compensable evaluation for bilateral hearing loss and an evaluation in excess of 30 percent for psychogenic pain disorder.

The veteran's claims for post-traumatic stress disorder, hearing loss, malaria, chronic skin disability (to include as secondary to exposure to Agent Orange), pinched neck nerve, and alcohol and drug abuse are all granted. The rating for the left shoulder shell fragment wound is not addressed in this decision.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of a shrapnel wound to the scalp region and bilateral hearing loss, as well as his request for an increased rating for PTSD. The decision also noted that the issue of increased rating for PTSD remains in contention.

The veteran's chronic headaches, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus are all found to be related to his military service.

The veteran's claim for a compensable evaluation for bilateral hearing loss was denied as his hearing impairment did not meet the criteria for any higher rating under VA's schedular guidelines.

The Board found that the veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss was not well-grounded because he did not provide competent medical evidence of a current disability. As such, his claim was denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of a shell fragment wound of the left leg and hearing loss are not well grounded. The claim for an effective date prior to March 5, 1996 for post-traumatic stress disorder is also denied.

The Board has granted service connection for a right shoulder disorder and bilateral hearing loss, but denied service connection for a low back disorder and left hip disorder. The veteran is assigned a 10% rating for his headaches.

The Board has found that the veteran's chronic headaches are service-connected. However, his claims for bilateral foot disorder, bilateral knee disorder, bilateral wrist disorder, cardiovascular disorder, and bilateral hearing loss are not well-grounded.