Hearing loss decisions — 2001

The Board denied the appellant's claims for increased ratings for tinnitus and right ear hearing loss, finding that the maximum schedular rating of 10 percent has been assigned.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and a low back disorder, but denied service connection for asthma. The veteran's current hearing loss is considered to be related to noise exposure during military service. For the low back disorder, the Board found that there was no clear evidence of injury in service, but accepted the veteran's account of an injury and granted service connection based on a finding of equipoise.

The veteran withdrew his appeal for service connection of bilateral hearing loss, and the case is dismissed.

The Board found no evidence of a current hearing loss disability and denied the veteran's claim for service connection. The issue regarding foot fungus was also denied, with the examiner indicating that it is not likely related to military service.

The veteran's claim for an increased evaluation of his service-connected bilateral hearing loss was denied by the RO. The VA determined that the veteran's hearing loss did not warrant a compensable evaluation under the applicable rating criteria.

The Board found that the veteran's current bilateral hearing impairment can be disassociated from the acoustic trauma experienced in service, but also noted a portion of his hearing loss may have been related to service exposure. The claim is granted as service connection for bilateral hearing loss is determined to be direct.

The Board finds that service connection for hearing loss has been in effect since 1946, resolving the appeal. The veteran's November 1990 claim is construed as a claim for an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss.

The veteran's claim for a compensable evaluation for bilateral hearing loss was denied. The effective date of service connection for tinnitus with an assigned 10 percent evaluation was granted on March 1, 1998.,The November 2, 1962 rating decision did not address the issue of service connection for tinnitus and is not considered to contain clear and unmistakable error (CUE).

The Board denied the veteran's claims of service connection for a back disorder, bilateral hearing loss, and a psychiatric disorder due to lack of new and material evidence.

The veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings for right ear hearing loss, otitis media, and tinnitus were denied. The effective date for the grant of service connection was set at September 27, 1996.

The VA denied the veteran's claims for service connection due to a lack of evidence showing that his nicotine dependence and respiratory issues were incurred or aggravated by military service.

The VA denied an increased rating for the veteran's service-connected right ear hearing loss, which was rated at 10 percent. The evidence showed that the veteran had severe to profound hearing loss in his right ear and moderate-severe sensorineural hearing loss in his left ear.

The Board has determined that a VA examination is needed to determine the nature and extent of the veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, as well as whether these conditions are related to service. The case is being remanded for this purpose.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence was submitted to reopen the claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The veteran's bilateral hearing loss is considered to be a result of noise exposure during his active military service.

The Board has remanded the case due to new laws and regulations requiring additional development of evidence.

The veteran's claim for an initial compensable evaluation for bilateral hearing loss is granted, with a rating of 10 percent.

The Board has remanded the veteran's claims due to new and existing legal requirements, including the Veterans Claims Assistance Act of 2000. The issues include service connection for hypertension, a pension rating, and reopening of previously denied claims.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection are denied as there is no evidence of hypertension meeting the criteria for a higher rating under the applicable regulations, and the other conditions do not meet the requirements for direct service connection.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development of his claims, including obtaining medical records and clarifying opinions from healthcare providers.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for higher initial ratings for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the evidence did not warrant a rating higher than the assigned noncompensable evaluations.