Hearing loss decisions — 2006

The Board found that the veteran's right ear hearing loss and disequilibrium due to acoustic neuroma were not incurred in or aggravated by service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus, as well as his claim for an increased evaluation for PTSD. The VA medical opinions found no evidence to establish a nexus between the claimed conditions and military service.

The veteran's claim for service connection for hearing loss is being remanded due to the need for a VA examination.

The Board has remanded the case to the RO for readjudication of the veteran's claim for a compensable evaluation for service-connected bilateral hearing loss on an extraschedular basis, considering all evidence of record.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, as well as his claim for a TDIU due to service-connected disability. The RO had previously denied these claims in February 1999, finding that there was no evidence of worsening of pre-existing conditions during service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss does not warrant a compensable evaluation, as his current hearing acuity is no worse than Level II in both ears.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his bilateral hearing loss, finding that the evidence did not warrant a rating in excess of the current 20 percent assigned from February 17, 2004.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased evaluations for his service-connected PTSD and bilateral hearing loss, finding that the evidence did not support ratings in excess of 50 percent for these conditions.

The Board has decided that additional development is needed, including obtaining missing service medical records and audiogram results. The veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus will be remanded to the RO.

The Board found that service connection is not warranted for a bilateral hearing loss disability, tinnitus, or a left hand disorder as a result of cold injury due to lack of evidence showing these conditions were incurred in or aggravated by service.

The VA has determined that the veteran's left ear hearing loss, diagnosed since September 9, 2002, does not warrant a compensable evaluation.

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

The Board has determined that the veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability is related to noise exposure during his period of active service from October 1965 to October 1967, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his military service, including exposure to noise during active duty. As a result, the claims for service connection have been denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss is due to acoustic trauma during service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss and a left foot injury, as well as his service connection claims for a respiratory disorder and a back disorder. The evidence did not support these claims.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for asbestosis and chronic bronchitis, bilateral hearing loss, dermatitis of the feet, and tinnitus. The claim for an increased evaluation for degenerative disc disease was not addressed in this decision.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for special monthly compensation based on need for regular aid and attendance or at the housebound rate.

The Board has denied the veteran's claim for service connection for right ear hearing loss, finding that there is no current disability to support a grant of service connection.

The Board has determined that the effective date for the grant of service connection for bilateral hearing loss cannot be earlier than January 16, 2001, as it was based on the receipt of a claim rather than the factual determination of an etiological link to service.