Hearing loss decisions — 2007

The Board has determined that there is a need for further VA examination and development of evidence to determine the validity of the veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and bilateral hearing loss.

The veteran's claim for service connection for bronchitis was denied. The claims for increased ratings of major depressive disorder, GERD, and bilateral hearing loss were granted. Service connection for contact dermatitis is not addressed in the decision.

The Board has determined that the veteran's hearing loss disability warrants an initial noncompensable evaluation from August 31, 1999 to May 18, 2004 and a subsequent initial 10 percent evaluation for bilateral hearing loss starting from May 19, 2004.

The Board granted service connection for PTSD and assigned a 10 percent initial evaluation, effective from October 15, 2001. The veteran's claim to reopen his bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus claims was denied. His application for an increased rating for PTSD was also denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran's hearing loss in the right ear and tinnitus were not incurred or aggravated by service, as there is no medical evidence linking these conditions to his military service. The Board also found that the veteran did not provide any information or evidence to support his claims.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss, but denied both on the merits.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for a higher rating for his left knee disability and hearing loss of the left ear. The veteran's left knee condition was rated as 10 percent disabling, while his left ear hearing loss warranted a non-compensable rating.

The Board found that the cause of death, medullary failure due to respiratory arrest due to acute bronchial asthma, was not related to service-connected conditions or herbicide exposure. The COPD was considered a contributory cause but not the principal cause of death.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and residuals of TIA, finding that the veteran's symptoms are related to his active duty service.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have an acquired psychiatric disorder, to include anxiety and depression, that is causally related to his period of active service. The record also contains no credible corroborating evidence that the veteran's claimed in-service stressors occurred. As a result, the claims for PTSD are denied.

The Board found that the veteran's current hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred or aggravated by service, as there was no evidence of disease in service and no compensable hearing loss within one year post-service. The VA examiner concluded that there is no nexus between the veteran's exposure to noise during service and his current conditions.

The veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not service-connected.,Peripheral neuropathy is also not service-connected, as it did not manifest within the required timeframe after service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is attributable to service and grants his claim for service connection.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of a right elbow injury, left wrist fracture, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus due to lack of evidence showing these conditions were incurred in or aggravated by military service. The claim was also not granted based on presumed exposure to herbicide agents.

The veteran's hearing acuity is manifested by average pure tone thresholds at 1,000, 2,000, 3,000, and 4,000 hertz of 53 decibels in the right ear and 49 decibels in the left ear. Speech recognition ability was 94 percent correct in the right ear and 92 percent correct in the left ear. This represents Level I hearing in both ears. The criteria for an initial compensable rating have not been met.

The veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and reconstructing lost service records.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss did not occur during service or is otherwise related to his military service. The VA examination report concluded that the current sensorineural hearing loss is less likely than not caused by any in-service noise exposure.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, and a dental disorder. The decision also noted that new evidence had not been received to reopen the claim for residuals of pneumonia.

The Board found that the veteran's current hearing loss is not related to service, including secondary to his service-connected jaw disability. As a result, the claim for service connection was denied.

The Board finds that the veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is attributable to noise exposure during his military service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.