Hearing loss decisions — 2000

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and a heart condition are not well grounded. The claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent for otitis externa is denied as there is no evidence to support an increase in disability level.

The Board found no evidence of a well-grounded claim for service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus.,PTSD was not established as the veteran did not provide specific verified stressors in service.

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

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, left ear tinnitus, vertigo, and fractures of the lumbar spine. The claims were found not well-grounded as there was no medical evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, PTSD, and a bilateral foot disorder are not well grounded. The evidence does not support a diagnosis of any of these conditions.

The Board found that the veteran's claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss was not well-grounded due to a lack of evidence of current disability as defined by VA regulations.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his active military service, granting service connection for these conditions.

The Board found that the veteran's claims for higher initial evaluations were not well grounded, and denied all issues related to service connection.

The veteran's claims for service connection for a right ear disability, bilateral hearing loss disability, and tinnitus have been denied as there is insufficient evidence to support the assertions that these conditions are related to his military service.

The veteran's claims for PTSD and a higher rating for his left hearing loss were denied due to insufficient evidence of service-connected stressors and the lack of credible supporting evidence.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss and duodenal ulcer, finding that the evidence did not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation or an evaluation in excess of 20 percent for duodenal ulcer from June 26, 1997.

The Board granted the veteran's claims for increased disability evaluations for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, assigning a 20 percent evaluation for bilateral hearing loss effective February 6, 1995. The claim for an earlier effective date for bilateral hearing loss was also granted.

The veteran's claim for special monthly compensation (SMC) due to housebound status is denied as the evidence does not demonstrate that he meets the criteria for this benefit.

The Board found that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability was incurred during his active service and granted his petition to reopen. The evidence showed noise exposure in service, continuity of symptoms since discharge, and current hearing impairment meeting regulatory criteria.

The veteran's claim for service connection for a fracture of the right toe is granted. The claim for reopening his left ear hearing loss condition is also granted, but he must provide new and material evidence to establish service connection.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and residuals of a broken nose, finding that new and material evidence had not been received to reopen the claim for bilateral hearing loss and concluding that there was no competent medical evidence linking current nose fracture residuals to service.

The Board has granted a separate, compensable evaluation of 10 percent for the veteran's tinnitus disability. The maximum available under VA's Schedule for Rating Disabilities.

The VA has determined that the appellant's bilateral hearing loss does not meet the criteria for a compensable disability rating, resulting in a denial of his claim.

The Board found that the veteran's current hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to service, as there was no evidence of a disease or injury in service. The claim is denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including a heart condition and several musculoskeletal issues. The decision also addressed whether new and material evidence had been submitted to reopen other claims.