Hearing loss decisions — 2002

The Board denied service connection for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss, and did not reopen the claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The veteran's allergic dermatitis was rated at 10 percent.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for increased evaluations for left ear hearing loss and traumatic arthritis of both knees, as well as his claim for service connection for malaria. The VA found that there was no evidence to support these claims.

The Board has granted a 20% evaluation for the residuals of frostbite of the left hand and a 10% evaluation for right ear hearing loss, finding that these conditions meet the criteria under the new VA Schedule for Rating Disabilities.

The Board found that the veteran's hearing loss did not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation at any point since the effective date of service connection on February 26, 1998.

The Board granted service connection for ischemic heart disease, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus due to the veteran's internment as a prisoner of war. The conditions are presumed based on localized edema experienced during captivity.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the veteran's claim for service connection for hearing loss disability in the left ear.

The Board has determined that the veteran's right ear hearing loss is related to in-service noise exposure and grants service connection for this condition. The other issues are also addressed, with a compensable rating for left ear hearing loss being granted.

The veteran's service connection claims for amnesia and a heart disorder were denied. The claim for residuals of right pneumothorax was granted with a 10% evaluation, while the claim for postoperative residuals of left knee injury was also granted with a 10% evaluation. Service connection for bilateral hearing loss is not established.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for irritable bowel syndrome, allergic rhinitis, bronchitis, and right ear hearing loss. The claim of service connection for headaches was reopened but remains denied.

The veteran's bilateral hearing loss and perforated left tympanic membrane were not caused by VA medical treatment, and the Board finds no fault on the part of the VA. Therefore, compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 is denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of a head injury and increased evaluations for internal and external hemorrhoids and left ear hearing loss, finding that there was no evidence to support these claims.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the veteran's previously denied claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss. However, a review of the post-service VA examinations showed that he does not have a bilateral hearing loss disability as defined by the Court in Hensley.

The Board determined that the veteran's right ear hearing loss and lumbar spine disorder were not incurred in or aggravated by active service. The veteran's bilateral flat feet disability was found to be no more than mild, with symptoms requiring an arch support.

The Board has granted a 10 percent disability evaluation for otitis media of the left ear with tympanoplasty and mastoiditis, effective from the date of the decision. The veteran's hearing loss in the left ear is rated as noncompensable under Diagnostic Code 6100, and tinnitus is rated at 10 percent under Diagnostic Code 6260.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claims for residuals of a head injury and hearing loss in the right ear based on new evidence submitted since the November 1978 denial.

The Board has granted service connection for right ear hearing loss but denied service connection for left ear hearing loss and tinnitus. Right ear hearing loss is found to be incurred in service, while the evidence does not support a finding of left ear hearing loss or tinnitus being related to service.

The veteran withdrew all issues from appellate status, and the Board dismissed the appeal due to lack of jurisdiction.

The Board has granted service connection for right ear hearing loss and assigned a 40 percent evaluation for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board denied the veteran's claim that new and material evidence had been submitted to reopen his claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that the additional evidence was cumulative and did not resolve the previous deficiency of no evidence of hearing loss in service or a link between current hearing loss and service.

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