Hearing loss decisions — 2006

The Board has determined that the appellant does not have current hearing loss or tinnitus disabilities for which service connection can be granted. The claim for a left shoulder disorder is also denied as there is no evidence of a direct relationship to service.

The Board found that the veteran's neck pain was not caused by his active military service and denied service connection for this condition. The initial compensable rating, disability evaluation, and TDIU claims are also addressed in the decision.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, earlier effective dates for bilateral hearing loss disability and Hepatitis C, and VA compensation for dependents potentially exposed to Hepatitis C virus.

The Board has decided to reschedule the veteran's hearing at the RO due to a previous request, and will handle this matter further.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling VA examinations to determine the etiology of the veteran's claimed back disability, tinnitus, and hearing loss.

The veteran's claims for service connection were denied as her conditions are not attributable to active military service or an undiagnosed illness.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, right knee disorder, and left knee disorder are not related to his military service. The evidence does not support a finding of service connection for these conditions.

The Board found that the evidence did not support a finding of service connection for right ear hearing loss. The claim for PTSD was remanded due to insufficient information regarding stressor events.

The VA determined that the veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss does not warrant a compensable evaluation.

The VA determined that the veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is not related to his service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has denied the veteran's claim for service connection for hearing loss of his left ear.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss, left knee disorder, and low back disorder due to a lack of evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

Service connection is granted for a loss of the sense of smell, as secondary to service-connected paresthesia of the left side of the tongue with hypesthesia of the left facial area.,Service connection is denied for major depressive disorder with chronic pain syndrome, as it is not proximately due to or the result of a service-connected disability.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and a bilateral eye disability, finding no medical nexus between these conditions and his military service.

The veteran's claim for a higher rating for Meniere's syndrome with hearing loss, vertigo, and tinnitus prior to June 16, 2003 was granted. The effective date of the grant of Dependents' Educational Assistance under Chapter 35, Title 38, United States Code, was also set at May 5, 2004.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining relevant VA treatment records and Social Security Administration (SSA) disability benefits information. The RO must also schedule the veteran for VA ear and audiology examinations to determine the current severity of his service-connected Meniere's disease with hearing loss.

The Board has determined that there is no competent medical evidence linking the veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability to his military service, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development and consideration of his claims for increased evaluations for bilateral hearing loss and vestibulopathy.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, diabetes mellitus, bilateral sensorineural hearing loss, tinnitus, and dermatitis. The evidence did not support a current diagnosis of any of these conditions, nor could it establish a link to service.

The veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus was denied as his claim was received on March 24, 2002.