Hearing loss decisions — 2007

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability, with an average puretone threshold of 43.75 decibels on the right and 38.75 decibels on the left, does not warrant a rating in excess of 0 percent.

The Board has determined that the veteran's hearing loss disability does not warrant a compensable evaluation, as it is manifested by no greater than Level I hearing in the right ear and Level II hearing in the left ear.

The veteran's appeals for higher initial evaluations for right wrist trauma, right hand trauma (including right little finger laceration), and left ear hearing loss have been dismissed due to the withdrawal of his appeal by the veteran.

The veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently rated as noncompensable prior to February 17, 2004 and 10 percent thereafter. The veteran's tinnitus is currently rated at 10 percent.,The veteran's claims for increased ratings for his bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are denied.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and has reopened the veteran's claim to reopen his service connection claim for PTSD. The decision also notes that further development is needed regarding the nature of the veteran's stressors during his service in Vietnam.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and verifying stressors related to PTSD. The veteran will also be scheduled for examinations to assess the severity of his bilateral hearing loss, GERD with gastric ulcer, and hemorrhoids.

The Board found that the evidence did not connect the veteran's right ear hearing loss with his time in service, and thus denied the claim for service connection.

The veteran's initial noncompensable rating for service-connected bilateral hearing loss is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of his condition.

The VA determined that the veteran's service-connected left ear hearing loss does not warrant a compensable evaluation, as it only reaches level II under the rating schedule.

The veteran's appeal for an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied by the Board of Veterans' Appeals.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral sensorineural hearing loss disability does not warrant an initial compensable evaluation.

The VA determined that there is no evidence of hearing loss during service and insufficient medical evidence to establish a nexus between current bilateral hearing loss and military noise exposure. As such, the claim for service connection was denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss is due to in-service acoustic trauma and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have current disabilities for which service connection can be granted, including hearing loss, ear infections with cerumen in ear, arthritic pain of the hips and left knee, or an eye disorder. The evidence provided by both service records and post-service medical records do not support a finding of such conditions.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and hypertension, finding no evidence to support a relationship between these conditions and his military service.

The Board has determined that the evidence is in equipoise and service connection for right ear hearing loss disability is granted.

The veteran is seeking service connection for chronic bilateral hearing loss disability, which he claims was caused by noise exposure during his active military service. The case has been remanded to allow for a more thorough examination and consideration of the evidence.

The Board found that the appellant's hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred or aggravated during service, nor are they related to his military service. The appeal for these claims is denied.

The Board finds that the appellant's right-sided hearing loss disability is attributable to service, and grants service connection for this condition.

The veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability has been shown to be productive of no more than Level IV hearing impairment in the right ear and Level II hearing impairment in the left ear, which falls within the criteria for a noncompensable evaluation under Diagnostic Code 6100. Therefore, the claim for an initial compensable evaluation is denied.