Hearing loss decisions — 2008

The veteran's claim for an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss is being remanded due to the need for additional VA treatment records.

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

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a current disability for which service connection can be granted, and therefore denied all claims.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to in-service acoustic trauma, and thus grants service connection for these conditions.

The Board found no evidence linking the veteran's current hearing loss and tinnitus to his active service, including noise exposure. The claim for service connection was denied.

The Board denied service connection for left ear hearing loss and did not assign a compensable disability rating for right ear hearing loss.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and for increased ratings for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine and chronic left knee strain. The evidence did not establish current disability in any of these conditions, and there was no medical opinion linking them to service.

The Board has granted service connection for PTSD. The remaining claims of entitlement to service connection for bronchial asthma, low back disability (Gulf War Illness, painful joints), tinnitus, and hearing loss in the right ear are addressed in the REMAND portion.

The VA has determined that the veteran does not have a hearing loss disability for VA benefit purposes and therefore, service connection for a bilateral hearing loss is not warranted.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and organic heart disease post pacemaker implantation due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to the veteran's military service.

The veteran's service-connected tinnitus is assigned a 10 percent rating, the maximum rating authorized under Diagnostic Code (DC) 6260. There is no legal basis for the assignment of a schedular evaluation in excess of 10 percent for bilateral tinnitus.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability. The veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability is found to be related to noise exposure during military service, which supports a finding in favor of service connection.

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

The Board denied service connection for PTSD, bilateral hearing loss, headaches, and allergies due to lack of evidence meeting the criteria for these conditions.

The veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus, to include separate evaluations for each ear, is denied as the maximum schedular rating available for tinnitus has been assigned.

The veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examinations and opinions regarding his hearing loss, tinnitus, and back disorder.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss, finding that there is no legal basis to grant a higher rating under the applicable VA rating criteria.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, low back disability, and residuals of a concussion. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were incurred or aggravated by military service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for right ear hearing loss and a compensable rating for left ear hearing loss, as well as a rating in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus. The evidence submitted since the May 1986 decision was either cumulative or insufficient to reopen the claim for right ear hearing loss.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and multiple myeloma. The Board found that there was no evidence of current disabilities or a nexus to service.