Hearing loss decisions — 2004

The Board found that the veteran's currently diagnosed coronary artery disease, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus were not incurred in or aggravated by active service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for acne vulgaris and hearing loss in the right ear, as well as his claim for service connection for residuals of a 5th metatarsal fracture. The RO granted service connection for otitis media, left ear.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and conducting examinations to assess the severity of his service-connected conditions.

The Board found that the veteran does not have an impaired hearing disability in his right ear meeting VA compensation criteria, and thus denied service connection for hearing loss.

The Board found that the veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is not related to his military service and denied his claim for service connection.

The veteran's bilateral hearing loss was initially granted a 10 percent rating effective September 15, 2003. He is currently rated at the maximum allowable under Diagnostic Code 6100.

The veteran's claims of service connection for vertigo, tinnitus, and left ear hearing loss are being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions. The increased rating claim for right ear hearing loss is also being remanded.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling a VA examination to determine the nature and etiology of his claimed conditions.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability is not well-grounded as there is no current evidence of a hearing loss disability. The effective date for the award of service connection for tinnitus remains August 9, 2000.,Service connection for chronic headaches and Meniere's disease are remanded to the RO.

The Board denied service connection for a hearing loss disorder, but granted service connection for a nervous disorder (Major Depression).,There is no evidence of in-service hearing loss or current hearing loss disability. The veteran's psychiatric condition was diagnosed after service and not related to service.

The veteran withdrew his appeal regarding the issues of whether new and material evidence had been received to reopen previously denied claims for service connection for various conditions. The Board has granted a compensable disability evaluation (30%) for the service-connected ureteral calculi.

The Board has not decided the service connection for tinnitus, but has reopened the claim for bilateral hearing loss. The decision on whether new and material evidence was submitted to reopen the hearing loss claim is mixed - some issues are granted while others are denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is due to acoustic trauma experienced during service, and grants service connection for this condition.

The VA denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and degenerative joint disease of the left wrist, finding that there was no current disability meeting VA compensation criteria for either condition.

The veteran is seeking compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 for additional disability resulting from a May 2000 VA surgery, but the RO needs to obtain and review all relevant medical records and schedule an examination to determine if there is any additional disability due to the VA surgery.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current right ear hearing loss disability began during his active military service due to noise exposure, and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board found that the veteran does not have current hearing loss, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, or headache disability as claimed. The evidence did not support service connection for any of these conditions.

The veteran's claims for service connection for diabetic retinopathy, tinnitus, hearing loss, vertigo, arthritis of the right elbow, and hypertension were all denied. The Board found no evidence linking these conditions to active service.

The Board found that the veteran's claimed disabilities were not incurred or aggravated by service and denied his claims for service connection.

The VA denied the veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for his service-connected bilateral sensorineural hearing loss, finding that a noncompensable rating was appropriate based on the audiometric findings.