Hearing loss decisions — 2007

The veteran's claim for a higher rating for bilateral hearing loss is being remanded due to the need for further examination and consideration of his testimony and medical evidence.

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

The VA determined that the veteran's hearing loss in his left ear does not warrant a compensable evaluation, resulting in a denial of his claim.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and found that the veteran's residuals of a sebaceous cyst do not warrant a compensable rating.

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

The Board found 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 Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for right ear hearing loss, left ear hearing loss, and tinnitus. The evidence does not establish that these conditions are related to military service.

The Board found that the veteran's current hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to service, as there is no evidence of injury or disease in service. The Board also noted a lack of objective evidence of continuing complaints for many years after service.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss as there was no evidence of a chronic disability resulting from in-service noise exposure.

The Board has determined that the veteran's left ear hearing loss disability does not warrant a rating in excess of 10 percent.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder, bilateral sensorineural hearing loss, and tinnitus. The reasons include uncorroborated stressor accounts, lack of evidence linking current conditions to service, and negative clinical records.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for left ear hearing loss, eustachian tube dysfunction, and allergic rhinitis and sinusitis. The evaluations assigned were found to be appropriate based on the medical evidence provided.

The Board denied the veteran's claim to reopen his service connection for bilateral hearing loss as no new and material evidence was submitted.

The veteran's claim for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus was denied. The Board found that the evidence did not support a rating in excess of 60 percent for bilateral hearing loss or a separate 10 percent evaluation for each ear for tinnitus.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss and sinusitis, finding that there is no medical evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The veteran's claim for an initial compensable disability rating prior to October 19, 2006, and a disability rating in excess of 10 percent from that date for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss was denied.

The Board denied an increased rating for bilateral high frequency hearing loss and a higher initial evaluation than 70 percent for PTSD prior to February 8, 2006.

The veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss has not met the criteria for a compensable disability rating since April 5, 2002.

The Board has determined that the veteran is not entitled to a compensable rating for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss or an increased rating for tinnitus.

The Board has remanded the veteran's claims for further development, including a VA audiological examination to determine whether his current hearing loss is related to service. The veteran's PTSD claim remains pending and will be addressed in a separate decision.