Hearing loss decisions — 2001

The veteran's service-connected tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss have been granted initial 10 percent ratings effective from August 31, 1995.

The Board has determined that the veteran's currently-diagnosed bilateral sensorineural hearing loss likely had its inception during his active wartime service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a current hearing loss disability or service-connected left knee injury, and thus denied the claims for these conditions.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and denied an increased rating for hearing loss.

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

The veteran's bilateral hearing loss was evaluated as noncompensably disabling from October 1991 through June 19, 2000. The RO granted a 30 percent evaluation for the period July 22, 1998 to June 18, 2000 and a 40 percent evaluation thereafter.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, a heart condition, fatigue/stress, and headaches. The veteran was found to have no current disabilities related to his complaints of chest pain, fatigue, or stress. His headaches were rated as noncompensable.,The RO granted entitlement to service connection for tension headaches but denied the veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, a heart condition, and fatigue/stress.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for additional development, including obtaining service records and scheduling a VA examination.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss in the left ear and tinnitus, finding that there is no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board has granted a 10 percent rating for the service-connected bilateral hearing loss, effective from March 23, 1988. The claim for a compensable rating for epididymitis is denied.

The Board is remanding the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and ensuring compliance with the Veterans Claims Assistance Act of 2000.

The veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were denied by the RO. The denial was based on a lack of evidence linking these conditions to his active duty service.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, both effective from December 17, 1998.

The Board of Veterans' Appeals denied the veteran's claim for service connection for sensorineural hearing loss in the right ear due to failure to submit new and material evidence.

The veteran's claim for an increased evaluation of his left ear hearing loss was denied. The RO also reduced the rating from 20 percent to noncompensable, effective December 1, 1998.

The VA has denied an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss as the appellant's hearing acuity does not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for service connection for the cause of her husband's death and for dependency and indemnity compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318 due to lack of evidence showing that his death was caused by a service-connected disability or that he was entitled to benefits under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1318.

The VA determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss, currently rated at 10 percent, does not warrant a higher evaluation based on his current clinical manifestations and the effect it has on his earning capacity.

The veteran's service-connected left ear hearing loss is currently rated as noncompensable, and the Board finds that a compensable evaluation is not warranted.

The Board has assigned staged ratings for the veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability, with a 10% evaluation effective February 18, 1998, and a 20% evaluation effective June 10, 1999. The current 30% evaluation is granted as of September 29, 1999.