Hearing loss decisions — 2007

The veteran's bilateral hearing loss has been diagnosed and medically attributed to his military service, and the Board finds that it was incurred in service. Therefore, the claim for service connection is granted.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from securing and following a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the lower extremities, residuals of typhoid fever, and hearing loss in the right ear have been denied as there is no competent evidence linking these conditions to his active military service.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a low back disorder, right leg disorder, or left leg disorder related to service. The claims for these conditions are therefore denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran's chronic bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus were not incurred or aggravated by service, including inservice noise exposure. The evidence does not support a finding of service connection for these conditions.

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

The veteran's dysthymic disorder is rated at 50 percent since March 17, 2000. The Board granted a TDIU rating and increased the disability rating for atrial tachycardia with pacemaker to 30 percent.

The Board denied a higher disability evaluation for the service-connected bilateral hearing loss, finding that the evidence did not support an increase in rating beyond 30 percent as of January 29, 2007.

The VA has granted a 30 percent evaluation for the veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss, effective from August 2001.

The veteran seeks service connection for bilateral hearing loss, which he claims is related to noise exposure during his naval service. The RO denied the claim in a February 2003 rating decision. The case is being remanded due to the need for an examination to determine if there is a medical nexus between the current hearing loss disability and service.

The VA determined that the veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating based on his audiometric test results.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased rating for lumbosacral strain, service connection for PTSD, and service connection for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss. The decision also noted that VA treatment records from September 2006 relating to surgery on his cervical spine are not relevant to his current claim for an increased rating for his service-connected disability of lumbosacral strain.

The veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently rated as 10 percent disabling since August 2, 2005. Prior to that date, his hearing acuity did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.

The Board found that the veteran's ruptured right eardrum with bilateral hearing loss is related to service and granted service connection for this condition. The claim for tinnitus was denied as there is no current diagnosis of tinnitus, and the claim for a right eye disability was denied due to lack of evidence linking it to service.

The VA has determined that the veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss does not warrant a compensable rating, and thus denied his claim for an initial compensable rating.

The Board has granted service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the appellant's current conditions are as likely as not related to in-service noise exposure.

The veteran's claims for higher ratings for service-connected hearing loss and tinnitus were denied as the evidence did not support a finding of entitlement to any additional disability evaluations.

The Board found that the veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his military service, granting service connection for both conditions.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and low back disability are not related to his military service. The evidence does not establish a nexus between these conditions and his active duty.

The Board has determined that the veteran's initial rating for bilateral hearing loss is denied as his audiometric results do not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.