Hearing loss decisions — 2007

The Board has remanded the case for additional development and appellate adjudication due to new evidence submitted by the veteran.

The Board found that the effective date for the TDIU should be December 19, 2002, as this was the earliest date on which it could be factually ascertainable that the veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unemployable.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings for hearing loss and reopening service connection claims for paravertebral fibromyositis, nasal allergies, and PTSD were denied. The RO found that the evidence did not meet the criteria for an increased rating or to reopen any of these claims.

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

The veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently rated as noncompensable, and the evidence does not warrant a higher rating.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and left knee disability.

The Board found that the veteran's current hearing loss and vertigo are not related to his military service, as there was no evidence of a hearing or balance disorder during service. The low back disability is also not linked to service, while the bilateral foot disability remains unresolved due to lack of medical records.

The Board has remanded the case due to new evidence submitted by the veteran and the need for updated VA examinations. The tinnitus claim is also being reviewed.

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

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to exposure to acoustic trauma in service, and therefore grants service connection for these conditions. The claim for residuals of a head injury is remanded for further examination.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for kidney cancer, right knee disorder, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus. The evidence did not establish a nexus between these conditions and his military service.

The veteran's appeal has been withdrawn, and the case is dismissed.

The veteran's service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and bipolar disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, post traumatic stress disorder were all granted. The veteran was also awarded a TDIU rating based on his service-connected disabilities.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for hypertension, to include as secondary to service-connected diabetes mellitus; PTSD; bilateral hearing loss; and tinnitus. The evidence did not establish a link between any of these conditions and active service.

The veteran's PTSD was caused by his active military service from March 1988 to February 1992, and he has been granted service connection for this condition. However, the veteran does not have diagnosed bilateral hearing loss or tinnitus.

The Board denied service connection for sleep apnea and did not grant increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss prior to April 27, 2006. As of that date, the veteran's hearing loss was rated at 10 percent.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, as well as an increased rating for post-traumatic stress disorder with secondary alcohol abuse and major depressive disorder. The VA examiner found that the current conditions were not related to service.

The veteran's left ear hearing loss is currently manifested by a pure tone threshold average of 63, which corresponds to a noncompensable rating under the VA disability evaluation criteria.

The veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including hearing loss, respiratory disorder, diabetes mellitus, chronic hives, left breast growth, and left testicular growth were denied as the evidence did not establish a nexus between these conditions and his period of active duty.

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