Hearing loss decisions — 2002

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral ear disorders including otitis media, hearing loss, and tinnitus. The Board found that his ear conditions preexisted service and were not aggravated by service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is caused by noise exposure in service and grants service connection for this condition.

The veteran's claims for increased evaluations for bilateral hearing loss and otitis externa are denied as the evidence does not support a compensable evaluation under the applicable rating criteria.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his hearing loss, tinnitus, and lung condition. The veteran was assigned a noncompensable rating for each of these conditions.

The Board found that the veteran's service-connected heart disorder did not contribute to his death or accelerate it. The cause of death was determined to be esophageal cancer, which began due to chronic reflux issues related to his service-connected conditions and aggravated by medications for those conditions.

The veteran's appeal was denied for increased evaluations of his service-connected disabilities, including shell fragment wounds and bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a hole in his head, no current headaches as a result of service, and bilateral sensorineural hearing loss and tinnitus are related to service. However, there is no evidence of any pre-service or post-service conditions that can be linked to these disabilities.

The Board found that there is no medical evidence showing a current hearing loss disability of the right ear, and thus denied the veteran's claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss does not warrant a compensable rating. The initial 70 percent rating for PTSD granted in September 2001 is maintained.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including schizophrenia, bilateral hearing loss, chronic muscular strain with tendonitis of the shoulders, chronic synovitis with ulnar nerve irritation of the elbows, moderate and chronic synovitis of the hands and wrists, a pulmonary disorder, and skin rashes. The Board found that none of these claims were legally merited.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss warrants a 40 percent evaluation, effective May 11, 2000. The evidence shows significant improvement in his hearing over time.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss is due to noise exposure during service and grants service connection for this condition.

The VA determined that the veteran's left ear hearing loss does not warrant a compensable rating.

The Board has granted service connection for right ear hearing loss and expanded it to include left ear hearing loss. The veteran's service-connected bilateral high frequency sensorineural hearing loss is now rated as Level IV (right ear) and Level VI (left ear).

The Board granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and assigned a 40 percent rating effective from November 21, 2000.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and residuals of a broken nose, finding no new and material evidence to reopen the claim for hearing loss and concluding that there is no medical evidence linking current nasal issues to service.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for increased evaluations for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the evidence does not warrant a higher rating based on current medical findings.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for service connection for Meniere's Disease and a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to service-connected disabilities, finding that there was no evidence linking his Meniere's Disease to his service-connected hearing loss and tinnitus.

The veteran has withdrawn his appeal of the remaining issues of higher ratings for a left ankle disability and right ear hearing loss.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and a skin disability due to new evidence submitted since the last denial in May 1979. The claims are now considered on their merits.