Hearing loss decisions — 2007

The veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 10 percent for bilateral hearing loss prior to February 16, 2007 was denied. A 20 percent rating was granted from February 16, 2007.,Service connection for bilateral tinnitus was denied.

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

The Board found that the veteran's treatment at the CCMH on February 2, 2002 was not emergent in nature and thus did not meet the criteria for reimbursement or payment of unauthorized medical expenses.

The Board has denied the veteran's claim for an increased disability rating for otitis media, as his current evaluation of 10% is considered the maximum allowable under VA regulations.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss and prostate cancer are being remanded due to the need for additional development.

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

The Board has determined that the veteran's left ear hearing loss worsened as a result of the removal of his tympanostomy (T) tube without informed consent, and thus warrants compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to service, as there is no evidence of in-service injury or disease. The VA examiner concluded that the current hearing loss and tinnitus were more likely due to post-service noise exposure.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss does not meet the criteria for a compensable disability evaluation, and thus denied his claim.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to issues related to hearing loss, tinnitus, and a disability of the cervical spine. The claims are currently under review.

The veteran's PTSD has been granted service connection with an initial evaluation of 50%. However, he is denied a compensable rating for his impotence. The other issues related to hypertension and hearing loss are not addressed in this decision.

The Board found that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss was not incurred in or aggravated by his active service and denied the claim.

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

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding whether the veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is related to his military service.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to determine if the veteran's current hearing loss, tinnitus, and sinusitis are related to his military service.

The Board has remanded the case due to new evidence submitted by the veteran and incomplete records from his service period. The claims for bilateral hearing loss and traumatic dental injury will be reviewed again with these additional details.

The veteran's chronic hearing loss disability has been shown to be productive of no more than Level II hearing impairment in the right ear and Level III hearing impairment in the left ear. The criteria for an initial compensable evaluation have not been met.

The Board has found that the veteran's current right ear hearing loss did not have its onset during service and is otherwise unrelated to his active service. The left ear hearing loss was manifested, at most, by an average pure tone threshold of 83 decibels with speech discrimination of 72 percent. As a result, the claim for service connection for right ear hearing loss has been denied, while the grant of service connection for left ear hearing loss and the assignment of a noncompensable rating have been upheld.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss does not warrant a compensable evaluation, and his claim for an increased rating for tinnitus is denied.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete service medical records and additional periods of active duty need to be confirmed.