Hearing loss decisions — 2004

The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for right-ear hearing loss and granted it on the merits.,The left-ear hearing loss service connection claim was not reopened due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an earlier effective date of January 8, 1999 for service-connected bilateral sensorineural hearing loss. The decision found that May 6, 2002 was the appropriate effective date based on when the veteran filed his VA application.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there was no evidence of a disease or injury from service resulting in the current condition.

The veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and conducting a VA examination.

The Board found that the veteran's left ear hearing loss was not incurred in or aggravated by service and denied his claim for service connection. The right ear hearing loss resulted in a noncompensable disability rating.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss, left knee meniscectomy residuals, and ethmoid sinusitis. The veteran was not granted any of his requested higher ratings.

The Board has reopened the claim for service connection for a lung disorder and remanded to obtain updated treatment records and provide a VA examination. The claims for gastrointestinal, psychiatric, dysphagia, and bilateral hearing loss remain pending.

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

The veteran is seeking service connection for hearing loss, which he claims is due to noise exposure during his military service. The VA has ordered a remand to conduct further examination and medical opinion regarding the etiology of the hearing loss.

The Board denied service connection for PTSD and bilateral hearing loss, but remanded the issue of respiratory disorder. The veteran's claims were not supported by credible evidence of in-service stressors or acoustic trauma.

The Board has granted a 30 percent evaluation for osteochondritis dissecans of the left knee with osteoarthritis and found no basis to grant a compensable evaluation for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has reopened the appellant's claims for service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, and labrynthitis (including fluid in the ears). The case is being remanded to obtain his complete service personnel records from the National Personnel Records Center to determine if he was exposed to acoustic trauma during ACDUTRA.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss and service connection for nasal sinus and deviated septum as secondary to his service-connected otitis media, finding that the evidence did not support a higher disability rating or service connection based on the current criteria.

The VA has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss warrants an initial rating of 10 percent effective as of the date of this decision.

The Board found that the effective date for the grant of a 20 percent schedular rating for service-connected bilateral hearing loss should not be earlier than November 5, 2001. The veteran's claim was initially received in June 2000 but did not meet VA requirements as he had not submitted a formal claim within one year of that date.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss was incurred during service and is granted. The issues of service connection for impotency and an increased rating for left elbow fracture are being remanded for further development.

The Board has remanded the case due to a need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and arranging for VA examinations.

The Board has dismissed the appeal as the veteran died during the pendency of the appeal and thus no jurisdiction remains.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 20 percent for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss, finding that the evidence did not warrant a higher rating.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are due to noise exposure during his military service, warranting service connection.