Hearing loss decisions — 2007

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection and increased ratings, finding no new and material evidence to reopen his previously denied claims. The appeals were not successful in any of the issues raised.

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

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to incomplete medical opinions and potential new evidence.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have PTSD and his bilateral hearing loss is rated at 40 percent. The appeal for service connection for PTSD is denied, as there is no evidence of a current disability or association with service.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have PTSD or depression related to his military service and denied all claims of service connection. The hearing loss claim is pending as there are conflicting audiometric test results.

The Board found that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss does not warrant a compensable evaluation, and his claustrophobia is rated at 30 percent disabling. The claim for PTSD was denied as there is no evidence of a diagnosis related to military service.

The VA determined that the veteran does not have bilateral hearing loss recognized as a disability for VA purposes and therefore denied his claim of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities, specifically bronchiectasis and bilateral hearing loss, are being reviewed to determine if they prevent him from securing or following substantially gainful employment.

The Board finds that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss increased in severity during his initial period of active duty, warranting service connection. The tinnitus was also incurred in service.

The Board has denied the veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that his right ear does not meet the criteria for a disability under VA regulations. The left ear hearing loss is found to be within one year of separation from service and thus granted service connection.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a current hearing loss disability for VA purposes and finds no evidence of in-service injury or disease related to his claimed conditions. Therefore, service connection is denied.

The VA granted service connection for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss with a 10% disability evaluation effective December 1, 2003.

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

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for right and left ear hearing loss, finding that there is no current disability as defined by VA regulations and insufficient evidence to establish a medical relationship between his in-service noise exposure and his current hearing loss.

The Board found that the veteran's current hearing loss of the right ear was not present during service, was not manifest within a year after separation from service, and is not etiologically related to active duty service or any incident therein. Therefore, the claim for service connection for hearing loss of the right ear was denied.

The veteran withdrew his appeal for service connection for hearing loss, and the case is being remanded for further action on secondary service connection claim for a low back disorder.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for left ear hearing loss, type II diabetes mellitus due to herbicide exposure, and a chronic skin condition claimed as blisters of the hands and feet. The evidence does not support current diagnoses or show in-service incurrence or aggravation.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection and a higher rating for bilateral hearing loss, finding that no evidence supported earlier effective dates or entitlement to increased ratings prior to January 11, 2002.

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