Hearing loss decisions — 2000

The Board has determined that there is no competent medical evidence linking any of the veteran's claimed conditions to service, and thus his claims for service connection are denied.

The Board has remanded the case to the RO for further development and adjudication, including consideration of whether the appellant may be entitled to dependency and indemnity compensation based on hypothetical entitlement to a total disability rating prior to her husband's death.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and PTSD due to a lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

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 nexus evidence based on an accurate history.

The Board found that the veteran's claims for service connection for a back disorder, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus were not well-grounded based on lack of competent medical evidence linking these conditions to active service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claim of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss is not well grounded, and therefore denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current bilateral sensorineural hearing loss is the result of inservice auditory trauma and granted service connection for this condition.

The Board denied the veteran's application to reopen his claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding no new and material evidence has been submitted.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and post-traumatic stress disorder. The claim for hearing loss was previously denied in December 1980, and the denial was continued multiple times thereafter. For PTSD, the evidence did not meet the criteria to establish a diagnosis based on verified stressors.

The VA denied the veteran's claim for service connection due to a lack of competent medical evidence linking his current bilateral hearing loss to his military service.

The veteran's claim for service connection for left ear hearing loss was denied due to the absence of a numerical interpretation of his March 1997 audiogram. The case is being remanded for further action.

The Board found that the veteran's claims for service connection were not well-grounded, as there was no competent medical evidence linking his current conditions to service. The hearing loss and tinea versicolor are considered new and material issues due to the reopening of the claim on new evidence.

The VA has determined that the veteran's claims for service connection for left ear hearing loss and tinnitus cannot be granted as there is no evidence to support a nexus between these conditions and his military service.

The Board denied both the veteran's claims for increased ratings for hearing loss of the right ear and otitis media of the right ear, finding that the criteria for an increased rating were not met in either case.

The veteran's bilateral hearing loss is rated at 10 percent prior to June 10, 1999 and 20 percent from that date. Tinnitus is rated at 10 percent since June 10, 1999. Serous otitis media is rated at 10 percent.,The veteran's conditions do not meet the criteria for higher ratings under the applicable rating schedule.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and hypertension as his claims were not well-grounded.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and a back disorder are not well grounded. The case was remanded multiple times, but no new evidence was provided to support these claims.

The Board has determined that the veteran did not submit new and material evidence to reopen his claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and bilateral otitis media.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for a compensable evaluation for otitis externa and service connection for left ear hearing loss, finding that there is no competent medical evidence of a nexus between these conditions and either service or a service-connected disability.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for gender identification disorder, irritable bowel syndrome, and bilateral pes planus. The claim for bilateral hearing loss is also denied.