Hearing loss decisions — 2007

The Board has determined that a VA examination is required for the veteran's claims of bilateral hearing loss and acquired food allergy to shellfish, as there is competent evidence of current disabilities and potential service connection. The case will be remanded for further action.

The Board has determined that the veteran's incarceration for a felony conviction, which exceeded 60 days, justified reducing his disability compensation benefits to an amount equivalent to a 10 percent evaluation.

The Board found that the veteran's tinnitus was not incurred in or aggravated by service and denied his claim. For bilateral hearing loss, the Board found that a noncompensable rating is appropriate based on VA audiological evaluations.

The veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for compensable ratings for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are being remanded due to missing evidence and incomplete adjudicative documents.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have PTSD and therefore, service connection for this condition is denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran's hearing loss was not incurred in or aggravated by active service, nor may it be presumed to have been so incurred. Therefore, the claim for service connection is denied.

The Board has granted a disability rating of 60 percent for the veteran's bilateral hearing loss, effective from the date of the decision.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are linked to service, granting his claims for these conditions.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred in or aggravated by active military service.

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

The Board has determined that the veteran does not currently have bilateral hearing loss disability or tinnitus, and thus service connection for these conditions is denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss was not incurred or aggravated by his military service and denied his claim.

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

The Board denied the veteran's claims for a compensable initial disability rating for bilateral hearing loss and service connection for an acquired psychiatric disability, including anxiety disorder. The evidence did not support the veteran's assertions of in-service stress or combat exposure.

The veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are found to be related to his in-service noise exposure, thus service connection is granted for both conditions.

The Board denied an initial compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss, finding that the veteran's hearing impairment did not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation under VA disability rating criteria.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for a low back disorder and hearing loss, finding that there was no evidence of such conditions during or within one year after service. The examiner concluded that any current low back disability did not have its onset during active duty and was not related to any inservice disease or injury.

The Board has granted service connection for status post perforated eardrums with scarring, but denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus as there is no current diagnosis of these conditions.

The Board finds that the veteran's current hearing loss and tinnitus are not causally related to active service, and thus denied his claims for service connection.

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