Hearing loss decisions — 2006

The VA determined that the veteran's hearing loss of the right ear was not incurred or aggravated by service, and thus denied his claim.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding no evidence of hearing loss at the time he separated from service or within one year following his discharge. The examiner determined that the current hearing loss was unlikely related to military service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's left ear hearing loss was incurred during service and is granted as direct service connection.

The VA determined that the veteran's hearing loss is level I in both ears, warranting a noncompensable evaluation. The Board found no evidence to support a compensable rating.

The veteran is seeking service connection for hearing loss as secondary to her service-connected sinusitis and/or allergic rhinitis. The Board has determined that additional development, including obtaining treatment records from Dr. Strasser and scheduling a VA audiological examination, is necessary before the claim can be decided.

The veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability is denied as there is no evidence of a current disability. The claim for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for psoriasis and seborrheic dermatitis is also denied due to the lack of evidence showing constant exudation or marked disfigurement.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for service connection for hypertension, alopecia, a bilateral knee disability, and bilateral hearing loss. The claim for separate schedular ratings for bilateral tinnitus was also denied.

The Board has decided that additional development is needed to determine if the veteran's hearing loss in the right ear was incurred during service.

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

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss and a depressive disorder, as well as his claim for an earlier effective date for TDIU. The decision also granted entitlement to a 70 percent evaluation for the service-connected depressive disorder.

The veteran's bilateral hearing loss is established as service-connected due to noise exposure during combat. However, there is no evidence of PTSD and the right shoulder scar does not meet criteria for a compensable rating.

The VA determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability does not warrant a compensable evaluation, as his puretone thresholds and speech discrimination scores do not meet the criteria for a higher rating.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including a new examination to assess his current hearing loss and tinnitus conditions.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and examination, including obtaining service medical records and arranging for VA examinations to determine the nature, extent, and etiology of any manifested nasal condition, sinusitis, lower back and neck condition, residuals of injury to the skull, hearing loss, tinnitus, and depression.

The Board has determined that the veteran's low back disability is related to his service-connected right knee disability and grants service connection for this condition. However, there is no evidence of left ear hearing loss in service or otherwise linked to service, so the claim for service connection for left ear hearing loss is denied.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for initial compensable ratings for bilateral hearing loss and erectile dysfunction, as well as his claim for an increased rating for diabetes mellitus with diabetic retinopathy. The issues have been remanded to obtain additional medical records and to schedule the veteran for a VA examination.

The Board has determined that the appellant's hearing loss is not related to his military service and denied the claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that there is no evidence to support the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and traumatic arthritis of the lumbar, thoracic, and cervical spines. The preponderance of the evidence is against these claims.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a current disability of bilateral hearing loss or residuals of eardrum damage, and thus service connection is denied for these conditions.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for right ear hearing loss, tinnitus, and residuals of cold injury, to include arthritis of hands, legs, and feet. The evidence did not establish a direct link between these conditions and his military service.