Hearing loss decisions — 2005

The VA denied an increased rating for the veteran's bilateral hearing loss, evaluating it at 40 percent disabling since January 19, 2000. The veteran's puretone threshold average in his right ear is 110 and in his left ear is 60, with speech recognition scores of 0% in the right ear and 72% in the left ear.

The Board found that the veteran's claimed conditions were not incurred or aggravated by service, and denied all claims.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss, a right ankle disorder, and chorioretinal scar in the right eye. The appeals for increased ratings for migraine headaches and GERD with hiatal hernia are still pending.

The Board has determined that the veteran's hearing loss and skin rash claims are denied as there is no evidence of a current disability or connection to service.

The Board finds that the veteran's current residuals of a perforated left eardrum and bilateral hearing loss are not related to his active service, as there is no evidence of such conditions during his period of service. The claim for service connection is therefore denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, back injury, left knee injury, and headache disorder. The evidence did not meet the criteria to reopen his previously denied claim for bilateral hearing loss. For the other conditions, there was no medical evidence showing a link between current disabilities and active service.

The veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss disability has been rated at a noncompensable level since the effective date of service connection. The Board finds that the evidence does not support an increase in rating.

The veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings are being remanded due to inadequate VCAA notice, ineffective VA examination, and other procedural issues.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss does not warrant a compensable rating, as his hearing impairment is at levels I and II in both ears, resulting in no more than a noncompensable disability evaluation.

The VA denied a claim for an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss, finding that the evidence did not meet the criteria for such a rating.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claim for a compensable evaluation prior to May 30, 2003, and an evaluation in excess of 10 percent from May 30, 2003, for bilateral defective hearing is denied.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to incomplete service records and potential need for medical examination.

The VA denied increased evaluations for the veteran's service-connected left ear hearing loss and right eye pterygium, finding that these conditions were not due to exposure to specific hazards or events.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have hearing loss or tinnitus that is related to his military service and therefore denied both claims.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there was no evidence linking these conditions to his active military service.

The veteran's right ear hearing loss is granted, and the RO must readjudicate all other claims. Additional development may be needed for some of these claims.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for ratings in excess of 10 percent for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the evidence did not support a higher rating based on current medical evaluations.

The Board found that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability was not incurred in or aggravated by active service and may not be presumed to have been so incurred.

The Board finds that the veteran's left ear hearing loss was not incurred or aggravated in active service and is not related to noise exposure. The claim for a compensable evaluation for right ear hearing loss is remanded. Service connection for multiple noncompensable disabilities under 38 C.F.R. § 3.324 is denied.

The veteran's claim for an initial compensable evaluation for service-connected bilateral hearing loss is being remanded due to the need for a VA audiological examination.