Hearing loss decisions — 2005

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for a back injury, bilateral knee injuries, and onychomycosis. The claim for left ear hearing loss was also denied as it did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are granted, with the effective dates being fixed in accordance with the facts found.

The veteran's claim for an effective date prior to June 26, 1998 for the assignment of a combined 90 percent rating for service-connected disabilities was denied as there was no evidence showing entitlement to such increase prior to that date.

The Board has determined that the appellant's bilateral hearing loss is service-connected, and he was assigned a 100% rating. The claims for residuals of a head injury, headaches, and partial paralysis of the left side were denied as there is no competent medical evidence to support these conditions.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a legally recognizable disability of bilateral hearing loss due to service, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The veteran's claim for an increased disability rating for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss was granted, with a 40 percent disability rating effective July 28, 2004.

The Board found that the veteran's service-connected schizophrenia did not cause his death, and denied the claim for service connection for the cause of the veteran's death.

The veteran has withdrawn their appeal, and the case is dismissed.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings for right ankle disability and left ear hearing loss were denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a higher rating than the current 10% assigned for moderate limitation of motion of the right ankle, and there was no service connection established for any other conditions related to the issues.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral sensorineural hearing loss and tinnitus are related to noise exposure during his military service, granting service connection for both conditions.

The veteran's service-connected right otitis media status-post tympanoplasty is currently rated at 10 percent, the maximum schedular rating available. The RO has determined that an increased rating beyond this level is not warranted.

The VA determined that the veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating based on his most recent audiometric test results.

The veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is related to in-service noise exposure and the Board has granted service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that the veteran's right ear hearing loss disability was not incurred in or related to his service, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Board granted an increased rating of 10 percent for the veteran's bilateral hearing loss, effective April 15, 2002.

The Board dismissed the motion for revision of a prior decision due to failure to specify the date of the Board decision at issue.

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

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss is service-connected, as it was caused by exposure to loud noises during his military service.

The Board found that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus did not manifest during service or within one year thereafter, and were not shown to be causally related to service. Therefore, service connection for these conditions was denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that his current condition was not related to his military service.