Hearing loss decisions — 2006

The Board has denied service connection for a low back disability, right knee disability, and right ear hearing loss. The claim for tinnitus is pending due to conflicting opinions regarding its etiology.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss does not meet the criteria for a compensable disability rating, and therefore denied his claim.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete evidence and need for further examination. The veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and bilateral hearing loss are pending.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that new evidence did not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating the claim. The Board also found no causal link between current hearing loss or tinnitus and service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred in or aggravated by service, as there is no evidence of acoustic trauma during service and the earliest medical records showing these conditions are more than half a century after discharge. The Board also found that the veteran did not provide good cause for failing to attend an examination scheduled to determine if his current hearing loss was related to service.

The veteran's initial claim for a compensable rating for bilateral sensorineural hearing loss has been granted, but the RO is remanding the case to further develop evidence before deciding this appeal.

The veteran's claim for a TDIU is being remanded due to the need for further development of his medical and employment history.

The veteran's claims for increased evaluations were denied. The Board found no evidence of current right ear hearing loss disability and determined that the veteran did not have moderate impairment in his left great toe, lumbosacral strain, or ankle condition at any point since service connection was established. The postoperative residuals of a left tibial shaft fracture with limited motion of knee were also rated as 10 percent disabling.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding no medical evidence establishing a nexus between his current disability and active service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are as likely as not related to military service, granting service connection for both conditions.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current hearing loss is attributable to noise exposure during service, and thus service connection for bilateral hearing loss is granted.

The Board found that the veteran's current bilateral sensorineural hearing loss was not incurred or aggravated by active service and may not be presumed to have been incurred in service. As a result, service connection for this condition is denied.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, but denied service connection for a skin disorder and an increased evaluation for rhinitis.

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

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and headaches with loss of balance, finding that these conditions are attributable to the veteran's military service.

The Board has granted a 30 percent evaluation for bilateral hearing loss from February 22, 2002. The veteran's otitis externa is rated at the maximum allowable under current regulations.

The Board has ordered a remand to clarify the examiner's assessment of the veteran's right ankle and to obtain his VA medical records from the San Juan VAMC.

The Board has determined that the appellant does not have qualifying active military, air or naval service and therefore cannot be granted basic eligibility for VA compensation benefits.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for PTSD, hearing loss disability, and tinnitus. The evidence did not establish a medical nexus between these conditions and military service.

The VA has decided to remand the case due to a lack of recent audiometric evaluation and for obtaining any relevant treatment records. The veteran's claim for an increased evaluation for his bilateral hearing loss disability will be reconsidered after these steps are completed.