Hearing loss decisions — 2006

The veteran's sinusitis/rhinitis is rated at 30 percent, while his bilateral high frequency hearing loss and hiatal hernia with deformed duodenal bulb are each rated at 10 percent. The veteran's pterygium does not result in any vision loss.

The Board has determined that the veteran's right ear hearing loss and tinnitus are not service-connected, as there is no evidence of a current disability during or within one year after service. The veteran's hearing was normal at separation from service.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. His hearing loss was rated at 0 percent, and his hand tremor disorder could not be linked to service or herbicide exposure.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current left ear hearing loss, mixed type, was not incurred in or aggravated by service. The evidence does not link his current condition to military noise exposure.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss was not incurred or aggravated during active military service and is therefore denied.

The veteran's bilateral hearing loss is found to have been incurred in service due to noise exposure during military service.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a current hearing loss disability, tinnitus, hypertension, or coronary artery disease that is related to his service. The evidence shows no manifestation of these conditions in service and they are not shown to be related to any incident therein.

The Board denied service connection for hypertension, left hip disability, seizure disorder, coronary artery disease (CAD), bilateral hearing loss, and vertigo.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to incomplete service records and unclear evidence regarding the appellant's claimed conditions.

The Board has granted a 20% rating for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, effective October 1, 2004. The veteran seeks an earlier effective date.

The VA determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating under the applicable disability evaluation schedule.

The veteran's claims for an initial disability evaluation in excess of 10 percent for asbestosis and for an initial compensable disability evaluation for bilateral hearing loss are denied. The evidence does not support a finding that the veteran experiences these conditions to warrant higher evaluations.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the veteran's testimony of ongoing tinnitus since service and his military specialty raise a doubt in favor of the claim. Service connection for bilateral hearing loss was denied as there is no evidence linking it to service.

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

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently rated as 20 percent disabling and does not warrant a higher rating.

The Board has denied the veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for sensorineural hearing loss, finding that his average pure tone thresholds do not meet the criteria for a compensable disability rating under VA Rating Schedule.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss was not incurred in or aggravated by active service, and his COPD is not related to military service. The case is being remanded for further medical examination.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an earlier effective date of May 17, 2005 for his TDIU due to lack of factual ascertainability prior to that date and because he did not meet the schedular criteria for a total disability evaluation based on individual unemployability.

The Board has determined that the veteran's right ear hearing loss and fibromyalgia did not manifest during service or within one year post-service, and there is no evidence of continuity of symptomatology. The preponderance of the evidence does not support a finding that these conditions are related to service.

The VA has denied a rating in excess of 10 percent for the veteran's bilateral hearing loss, as the evidence does not meet the criteria for a higher rating based on the audiometric results provided.