Hearing loss decisions — 2004

The Board found that the veteran's current hearing loss is not attributable to his period of active military service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has granted a 30 percent evaluation for bilateral hearing loss effective July 11, 2000. The veteran's disability is currently rated as 30 percent disabling under the provisions of Diagnostic Code 6100.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for a compensable rating for his service-connected bilateral sensorineural hearing loss, finding that the evidence did not support an increase in disability rating.

The Board has granted service connection for hypertension and denied an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board granted the veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and assigned an initial 30 percent evaluation, effective May 16, 2001. The veteran contends that his service-connected bilateral hearing loss is more disabling than reflected in the original disability rating.

The Board has reopened the appellant's claim of service connection for asthma and granted it, finding that new evidence supports a current diagnosis of asthma incurred during military service.,The right ear hearing loss claim is remanded to the RO for further development.

The Board found that the veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred in or aggravated by active service, nor may they be presumed to have been incurred therein. The evidence did not support a causal relationship between his current conditions and any incident of service.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining VA treatment records and a VA audiological examination to determine the nature and origin of his hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Board found that the veteran submitted new and material evidence sufficient to reopen his previously denied claim of service connection for hearing loss. The claim was then evaluated on its merits, and it was determined that there is no competent medical evidence linking the veteran's hearing impairment to service.

The Board found that the reduction of a 10% rating for bilateral hearing loss to a noncompensable rating was proper and denied entitlement to an increased compensable rating.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss does not warrant a compensable evaluation, as his current hearing acuity levels do not meet the criteria for a noncompensable rating under the applicable VA rating schedule.

The Board denied an initial compensable rating for service-connected hearing loss, finding that the evidence did not warrant a higher disability rating.

The veteran's death was not service-connected, but he had been continuously rated as totally disabled for a period of at least ten years immediately preceding his death. As such, DIC benefits were denied.

The Board found that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss does not warrant a rating higher than 20 percent, as his current evaluation is based on the severity of his hearing acuity levels.

The Board has granted service connection for chronic bronchitis secondary to the veteran's service-connected sinusitis. The other issues are pending and will be addressed in a separate decision.

The veteran's claim for an increased rating for service-connected bilateral hearing loss is being remanded due to the failure to properly apply VCAA provisions.

The veteran seeks an earlier effective date for service connection of bilateral hearing loss. The RO denied his claim in March 1995, finding that the right ear hearing loss pre-existed service and was not aggravated by service, and denying left ear hearing loss on the ground that he did not have a pre-existing condition. He filed another petition to reopen in June 1998, which was denied. The RO also considered his claim for CUE in March 1995 decision but found no error.

The veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus render him unemployable, and the Board has granted a total disability rating based on individual unemployability.

The Board found that the veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred in or related to his military service, as there was no evidence of defective hearing during service or for many years after service. The VA examiners concluded that the current hearing loss is more likely due to noise exposure from a small machine shop post-service.

The VA determined that the veteran's hearing loss of the left ear does not warrant a compensable evaluation.