Hearing loss decisions — 2005

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the veteran's claim for service connection for hearing loss. The Board also found that there is a reasonable basis to link the current bilateral hearing loss disability to the veteran's exposure to acoustic trauma during his military service in artillery.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to missing service medical records and VA medical records.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service connection claims for PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, and recurrent tinnitus are denied due to a lack of supporting evidence.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding no evidence of a hearing loss or tinnitus during service and insufficient medical evidence to link these conditions to service.

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

The veteran's current bilateral hearing loss was present in service and the Board finds that it is linked to his military service, granting service connection.

The Board has decided that the veteran's claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss is not granted, and it has been remanded to obtain additional medical evidence and a VA examination.

The veteran's left ankle disability was granted service connection and rated at 20 percent from May 30, 2000 to August 11, 2004. The rating for the left ankle disability was increased to 30 percent effective December 1, 2004.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a back disability and an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss. The veteran was found to have arthritis of the lumbar spine, but no direct link between his active duty and this condition. His bilateral hearing loss was also not considered service-connected.

The Board has granted service connection for residuals of a gunshot wound to the right forearm and elbow, but denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and right knee disability.

The Board found that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss was not incurred in or aggravated by his active military service, nor may a sensorineural hearing loss be presumed to have been incurred in service. The VA examiner concluded it was less likely than not the hearing loss occurred during military service and more likely related to diabetes mellitus.

The Board has determined that the appeal must be remanded to obtain a clarifying VA medical opinion regarding the appellant's hearing loss condition.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and foot and ankle disability, finding no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The veteran is seeking compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 for additional disability due to VA aortobifemoral bypass surgery in March 1997, and the Board has determined that further medical examination and opinion are needed.

The Board has determined that the veteran's tinnitus was not incurred in or aggravated by service and is not due to a service-connected disability. The RO proposed reducing the veteran's evaluation for bilateral hearing loss from 40 percent to 20 percent, but this reduction was not finalized as the veteran did not file a complete notice of disagreement.

The veteran died from cerebral hemorrhage, which was not related to his service-connected conditions. The Board found that the cause of death did not stem from any service-connected disability.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for depression, hearing loss, and tinnitus. The decision on hearing loss will be deferred until further development is completed.

The VA determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss does not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation under the applicable rating schedule. The veteran was granted no additional compensation.

The VA determined that the appellant's bilateral hearing loss did not warrant an increased rating as his hearing acuity was within noncompensable limits.

The Board found that the veteran's current bilateral hearing loss was first clinically manifest many years after his discharge from active service and there is no competent evidence showing it is related to disease or injury in active service.