Hearing loss decisions — 2006

The Board finds that the veteran's currently demonstrated bilateral hearing loss is likely due to noise exposure during his service, and grants service connection for this condition.

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

The Board found that the veteran's hearing loss did not meet or approximate the criteria for a compensable rating, and thus denied his claim.

The VA determined that the veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unemployable, and thus denied his claim for a TDIU.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected left ear disability, including hearing loss and a residual scar behind his left ear, warrants a 10 percent rating. The veteran is already receiving the maximum schedular rating available for chronic suppuration due to his service-connected left ear disability under Diagnostic Code 6200.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have bilateral sensorineural hearing loss or tinnitus that are causally related to service, and thus denied both claims.

The veteran's hearing loss is found to be related to noise exposure during his military service, and the claim for service connection is granted.

The VA denied the veteran's claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that there was no evidence linking his current condition to his military service.

The Board has determined that further development is necessary before the appeal can be adjudicated. This includes obtaining VA treatment records from Tuskegee and Montgomery VAMCs for a low back disability, scheduling an audiologist examination to determine if the veteran currently has a bilateral hearing loss disability, and providing the veteran with notice of his rights regarding his pending claims.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss, finding no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a hearing loss disability as defined by VA standards, and therefore service connection for bilateral high frequency sensorineural hearing loss is denied.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and granted it, finding that there is sufficient evidence to establish a link between the veteran's current hearing loss and his military service.

The Board has remanded the case due to new evidence submitted by the veteran and issues related to reopening a previously denied claim for service connection for left ear hearing loss.

The veteran's appeal for service connection for hearing loss of the right ear has been dismissed due to a lack of jurisdiction. The issues of his entitlement to service connection for tinnitus and whether new and material evidence has been presented to reopen a claim for chronic otitis media with hearing loss of the left ear are addressed in the REMAND portion of this decision.

The Board found that the veteran's current hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his service, as there is no evidence of hearing loss or tinnitus in service or within one year after service. The preponderance of the evidence does not support a finding that the veteran's hearing loss and/or tinnitus were caused by noise exposure during service.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, a psychiatric disorder (including PTSD), and a gastrointestinal disorder due to lack of evidence demonstrating these conditions were incurred in or aggravated by service.

The veteran's service connection claim for bilateral tinnitus was granted, and his hearing loss claim is remanded for further development.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus are at least partly due to his in-service noise exposure, which is considered service-connected.

The Board has denied the veteran's claim for a compensable rating for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss disability and remanded the issue of service connection for tinnitus.

The veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus do not prevent him from securing or following substantially gainful employment.