Hearing loss decisions — 2004

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

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and hypertension, finding no evidence of a current disability or a link to service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for high frequency hearing loss, left ear; sinusitis and bronchitis as a result of exposure to herbicides; and skin rash as a result of exposure to herbicides. The appeals were based on presumptive service connection due to exposure to Agent Orange.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for degenerative disc disease of the cervical spine and bilateral hearing loss, finding that there was no competent medical evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of service connection for left leg disorder, lung disorder due to asbestos exposure, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus. The evidence did not support a current diagnosis or link these conditions to service.

The Board denied service connection for a skin disorder, periodontal gum disease, and hypertension as secondary to the veteran's service-connected diabetes mellitus. Service connection was granted for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for numbness of the right thumb and the propriety of a noncompensable evaluation assigned to an original grant of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that the evidence did not support these claims.

The veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss is rated at 100 percent, the highest possible rating under VA guidelines.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of a left hydrocele and bilateral hearing loss, finding that new and material evidence was not submitted to reopen the claim for residuals of a left hydrocele and that there is no current disability for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for service connection of bilateral hearing loss, finding that the earliest correspondence supporting this claim was in November 2001.

The VA determined that the veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his military service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for initial compensable ratings for bilateral hearing loss and an initial rating in excess of 30 percent for PTSD. The evidence did not support higher evaluations based on the current disability levels.

The Board has remanded the case to the RO for further development regarding the veteran's claim of service connection for hearing loss in his right ear. The current ratings for left ear hearing loss and hemorrhoids remain unchanged.

The veteran is seeking service connection for left ear hearing loss and tinnitus with vertigo, which he claims are related to noise exposure in service. The case has been remanded due to the need for additional development.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claim for service connection for a hearing loss disorder and gastrointestinal disorder is remanded due to the need for additional development of medical records.

The veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for a 20 percent evaluation for bilateral hearing loss was denied as the earliest ascertainable date of increase in disability is April 25, 1996.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for an effective date prior to February 27, 1992 for service connection of hearing loss in his right ear. The condition was not shown to be related to military service until July 3, 1992.

The Board granted an increased rating of 70 percent for bilateral hearing loss, effective June 10, 2003. The issue was whether a compensable rating should have been assigned prior to that date.

The veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been denied as a matter of law due to his failure to report for scheduled VA examinations.

The veteran's claim for an increased evaluation for his service-connected disabilities, including asthmatic bronchitis, myositis of the lumbar spine, conjunctivitis, histoplasmosis, and bilateral hearing loss, was granted. The effective date for a TDIU is set at March 19, 1991.