Hearing loss decisions — 2006

The Board has denied the appellant's petition for an increased apportionment of the veteran's compensation payments due to the hardship it would impose on the veteran.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for a certificate of eligibility for assistance in acquiring specially adapted housing.

The VA determined that the veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is not related to his military service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Board found that the veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is not related to his active military service and denied his claim.

The Board has ordered additional development to determine the relationship between the appellant's claimed conditions and his periods of active duty for training.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred or aggravated in service, and therefore denied his claims for service connection.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and issuing SOC's for initial noncompensable ratings assigned in September 2004 for cholesteatoma and perforated tympanic membrane of the right ear, and in June 2006 for hearing loss of the right ear.

The veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for hearing loss was granted, with a rating assigned and effective from November 27, 2000. The claim for an initial compensable evaluation for hearing loss was denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for PTSD, high frequency hearing loss, diabetes mellitus, and residuals of prostate cancer. The veteran's service-connected degenerative joint disease of the cervical spine, left shoulder, and right knee were not found to be related to his active duty service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for various disabilities, including a thoracic spine disability, cervical spine disability, bilateral knee disability, right hand disability, and bilateral hearing loss disability (including tinnitus). The appeals were not about service connection at all.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for service connection for the cause of the veteran's death and entitlement to dependency and indemnity compensation (DIC) as there is no evidence that the veteran's service-connected disabilities contributed to his death.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, a back disability, a left leg disability, and a left foot disability due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to the veteran's military service.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims of service connection for a bilateral hip disability and hearing loss, including as due to medication. The evidence does not establish an in-service injury or disease that caused these conditions.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current hearing loss is related to noise exposure during active service, and therefore grants his claim of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss.

The veteran's tinnitus and left ear hearing loss are rated at the maximum allowed under VA regulations, with no additional compensation granted.

The veteran's claim for a compensable rating for service-connected bilateral hearing loss has been denied as his hearing impairment does not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a current hearing loss disability as defined by VA regulations, and therefore service connection for hearing loss is denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a qualifying diagnosis of PTSD and there is insufficient evidence to verify an in-service stressor. The veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are also not established as service-connected.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of a right shoulder injury, an increased evaluation for hearing loss, and an initial evaluation in excess of 30 percent for PTSD. The veteran's hearing loss was rated as noncompensable due to his audiometric results not meeting criteria for a compensable rating. His PTSD was rated at the lowest available level (30%) based on symptoms that did not meet higher levels of impairment.