Hearing loss decisions — 2005

The VA determined that the veteran does not have a diagnosed hearing loss disability as defined by VA regulations, and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Board denied service connection for a lumbar spine disorder, hearing loss, tinnitus, and a residual scar from a right eyebrow laceration. The appellant's claims were not supported by sufficient evidence to establish a link between these conditions and his military service.

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 PTSD is productive of occupational and social impairment with reduced reliability and productivity, warranting a 50 percent evaluation. Hearing loss in the left ear was incurred as a result of active military duty.

The Board has determined that the veteran's tinnitus, bilateral hearing loss, and asbestosis were not incurred or aggravated during his active service. The evidence does not support a finding of service connection for these conditions.

The veteran's right knee disorders, including the status post right knee acute rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament and traumatic arthritis, are rated at 20 percent. The left knee trauma with laceration is rated at 10 percent. The residuals of a shell fragment wound of the left upper arm (Muscle Group V) are also rated at 10 percent. The veteran's orchialgia is rated at 10 percent, and his bilateral hearing loss is rated as compensable prior to May 1, 2003, with an increased rating effective from that date.

The Board found that the appellant's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not attributable to his period of active military service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is related to his active service and grants this claim. The asbestosis claim is remanded for further development.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the veteran was exposed to noise in service and sustained these conditions as a result.

The VA has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss does not warrant a higher initial rating, as it currently meets the criteria for a noncompensable (zero percent) disability rating.

The VA denied a higher initial evaluation for bilateral hearing loss, assigning a noncompensable rating.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to service, as there is no evidence of such conditions during or within one year after service. The VA examiner found it much less likely than not that the veteran's current hearing loss and tinnitus were caused by noise exposure in service.

The Board found that the veteran's current bilateral sensorineural hearing loss was not incurred as a result of noise exposure during active service.

The Board found that new and material evidence had been submitted to reopen the claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, but denied both the original claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and the reopened claim for tinnitus.

The Board found that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss did not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation under the applicable rating schedule.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claimed bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to service, as there is no evidence of a current disability during or within one year after service. The Board also found that the veteran did not have noise exposure in service that could cause his current disabilities.

The Board found that the veteran does not have bilateral hearing loss disability for service connection purposes and denied his claim.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including verification of the veteran's service and obtaining additional VA treatment records.

The Board found that the veteran's current bilateral hearing loss was not incurred in or aggravated by military service, nor may it be presumed to have been incurred within one year of discharge. The evidence did not establish a nexus between his current condition and his military service.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling VA examinations to assess the severity of his service-connected disabilities.