Hearing loss decisions — 2004

The Board found that the veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability was not incurred or aggravated by service, and denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims of service connection for bipolar disorder, bilateral hearing loss, rare premature ventricular contractions, and right knee tendonitis due to a lack of medical evidence showing these conditions were incurred or aggravated during active service.

The Board found that the veteran's hearing loss did not originate in service and was not aggravated by service. As a result, the claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied.

The VA denied the veteran's claims for higher ratings for his bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that neither condition warranted a compensable rating or an initial rating higher than 10 percent.

The veteran's bilateral hearing loss was rated at 10 percent from February 18, 1999 and increased to 30 percent effective June 21, 2002.

The veteran's service-connected rheumatoid arthritis, tinnitus, and bilateral hearing loss have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has decided to remand the veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to a lack of medical evidence linking his current disabilities with service, requiring further development including a VA examination.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his left femur fracture with knee instability and bilateral hearing loss, finding that the evidence did not support a rating in excess of 20 percent for either condition.

The Board finds that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus were incurred in service due to exposure to acoustic trauma. The evidence supports a finding of entitlement for these conditions.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development and compliance with the Veterans Benefits Improvements Act of 1994.

The veteran is seeking an increased evaluation for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss, which has been rated at 30 percent. The ROIC granted this increase in November 2002 based on a VA audiological evaluation conducted in October 2002. However, the veteran contends that his hearing loss disability has worsened since then and requests another VA examination to determine its current severity.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for higher initial ratings for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss and hypertensive coronary artery disease, finding that the evidence did not warrant a higher rating under VA regulations.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, COPD, a psychiatric disability, and hepatitis C. The claim for reopening of the veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral ankle disabilities is also denied.

The Board has remanded the veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for a bilateral hearing loss disability and whether new and material evidence has been received to reopen his claim of entitlement to service connection for a stomach disorder. The case will be returned to the RO for further development.

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

The VA granted service connection for tinnitus and hearing loss with effective dates of September 18, 2000. The veteran is seeking earlier effective dates.

The Board found no evidence of a current hearing loss disability or tinnitus related to service, and denied the veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.

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

The veteran's claim for a certificate of eligibility for financial assistance in the purchase of an automobile and adaptive equipment or for adaptive equipment only was denied because he does not meet the criteria for such benefits due to his service-connected disabilities.

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