Hearing loss decisions — 2005

The veteran's increased rating for bilateral hearing loss from July 8, 1996 to October 26, 2004 was granted and rated at 10 percent.

The Board has determined that the veteran's hearing loss, heart condition (claimed as a murmur), GERD, and irritable bowel syndrome were not incurred or aggravated by service. The vision impairment is considered to be a refractive error.

The Board has determined that service connection is granted for residuals of tympanic membrane perforation of the right ear with otitis media and for hearing loss of the left ear, as these conditions are found to be at least as likely as not related to service.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have impaired hearing in his left ear by VA standards, and therefore service connection for left ear hearing loss is denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for an increased rating for his bilateral hearing loss and for an earlier effective date for his tinnitus service connection.

The Board found that the veteran's claimed disabilities, including residuals of a shrapnel wound of the left upper back and bilateral hearing loss, were not incurred or aggravated during active military service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claimed conditions, including ear problems, equilibrium dysfunction, hearing loss, a chin disability, headaches, dizziness and dental disorders, were not present in service or are not etiologically related to service. The seizure disorder is also not found to be related to service. Service connection for an anxiety disorder and gastritis/peptic ulcer disease has been denied as well.

The Board has determined that the veteran's right ear hearing loss does not meet VA disability criteria and therefore denied service connection for this condition. The other issues of entitlement to service connection for bilateral ankle disorder, bilateral knee disorder, acquired pes planus, and chronic headaches secondary to PTSD were also denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss is service-connected, as it is related to his military noise exposure. However, there is no evidence linking his current tinnitus to his military service.

The Board denied service connection for a chronic headache disability, cervical spine disorder, and hearing loss. The veteran's headaches began during his active military duty but were not found to be related to service. His cervical spine disorder was determined to be congenital and not associated with service. His hearing loss was also not found to be related to service.

The Board found that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss with left stapedectomy warranted a noncompensable evaluation, as his audiometric test results did not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The veteran's claims for increased rating and service connection were denied. The claim for Parkinson's disease was reopened, but not granted.

The Board has determined that the veteran's left ear hearing loss is related to service, but there is no evidence of right ear hearing loss meeting VA disability criteria.

The Board has granted service connection for the residuals of bilateral ankle sprains, finding that as likely as not these disabilities are due to injuries sustained during active duty. The other claims for hearing loss, bunions, and a nervous condition remain pending.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to missing service medical records and potential SSA disability benefits records. The veteran's claims are also referred to the RO for further action on other issues.

The VA denied an increased rating for otitis media with bilateral hearing loss as the evidence did not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation.

The Board has determined that the criteria for a compensable disability rating have not been met, and therefore denied the veteran's appeal to establish entitlement to a compensable disability rating for right ear hearing loss.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss does not warrant a compensable rating, as his hearing impairment is currently rated at zero percent.

The veteran's claim for an effective date prior to October 28, 2002, for the grant of service connection for right ear hearing loss disability was denied as there is no indication that he expressed intent to pursue this claim during the interim period between his initial denial in June 1976 and his application to reopen in October 2002.

The veteran's hearing loss disability was productive of both level II hearing loss in the right ear and level IV hearing loss in the left ear for the period prior to March 8, 2004. For the period beginning March 8, 2004, the veteran's hearing loss disability was productive of level V hearing loss in the right ear and level IV hearing loss in the left ear. The criteria for a compensable evaluation were not met.