Hearing loss decisions — 2005

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and status post lumbar laminectomy and diskectomy, finding that there is no evidence of a current disability related to his military service.

The veteran's appeal for an earlier effective date for service connection of bilateral hearing loss has been dismissed due to the death of the veteran.

The Board has remanded the case due to missing records and the need for VA examinations.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the veteran's current conditions are related to his military service.

The Board has ordered the Regional Office to obtain additional medical records from various healthcare providers and resubmit the claims for service connection. The veteran's hearing loss and dizziness conditions are still under review.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have any of the claimed conditions and therefore, service connection is denied for all issues.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of a head injury and hearing loss, finding no new and material evidence to reopen the latter claim.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have hearing loss attributable to his period of military service and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss is currently rated as noncompensable, and the Board has determined that a higher rating is not warranted.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a current disability of bilateral hearing loss or tinnitus, and therefore service connection for these conditions is denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran's hearing loss in both ears did not occur or worsen during service and is not related to any service-connected condition, thus denying her claims for service connection.

The veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for bilateral hearing loss was denied as there is no evidence of a prior informal or formal claim before March 12, 1998.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss warrants a 20% disability rating, effective from March 30, 2005.

The Board has determined that additional development is necessary prior to completion of its appellate review for the veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. The case is remanded to the RO via the Appeals Management Center (AMC) in Washington, DC.

The Board has determined that additional evidence is needed to fully and fairly consider the appellant's claims for service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, residuals of a back injury, and hypertension. The appellant needs to provide records from his periods of active duty for training, including those related to his 1964 and 1965 surgeries, post-service injuries, worker's compensation claim, and Social Security Administration disability benefits.

The Board finds that the veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus are related to noise exposure experienced during active service, with reasonable doubt resolved in favor of the veteran. Service connection is granted for these conditions.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to new and material evidence submitted since the last denial in November 1970. The veteran currently has bilateral sensorineural hearing loss disability, which he asserts was present shortly after service.

The Board has granted a 10 percent rating for service-connected otitis media/externa, effective December 27, 2002. The veteran's hearing loss disability claim is denied.

The VA has granted increased disability evaluations for the veteran's bilateral hearing loss and bilateral pes planus, with a rating of 10 percent each.

The VA has determined that the veteran's bilateral sensorineural hearing loss does not warrant a compensable evaluation, and thus denied his claim for an initial compensable rating.