Hearing loss decisions — 2008

The Board denied service connection for chronic bilateral hearing loss disability, chronic tinnitus, a chronic temporomandibular joint disorder, and a chronic dental disorder. The veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the award of a 30 percent evaluation for his chronic bilateral maxillary sinusitis was also denied.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings and earlier effective dates were denied as the evidence did not support higher evaluations or earlier effective dates.

The Board grants service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the evidence is in equipoise as to whether these conditions are causally related to noise exposure during active service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and actinic and seborrheic keratoses as there was no evidence of a diagnosis or treatment during service, and no competent medical evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus as the evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were incurred in or aggravated by service.

The veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension, to include as secondary to diabetes mellitus type II, was reopened and denied. The veteran's bilateral hearing loss does not warrant a compensable evaluation.

The veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for left ear hearing loss was denied, and the claim for service connection for right ear hearing loss was also denied.

The veteran's bilateral hearing loss does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.

The Board remands the claim for a VA examination to determine if the veteran's current hearing loss is causally related to active service.

The veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss is rated at 20 percent, and the Board found that a higher rating was not warranted based on the audiometric test results.

The appeal is remanded to obtain additional evidence, including VA medical records and the veteran's personnel file, and for a new examination.

The veteran's bilateral hearing loss was not related to his service and a sensorineural hearing loss may not be presumed to have been incurred in service.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss as there was no evidence of a chronic disability in service or within one year of discharge, and no competent medical evidence linking the current hearing loss to his military service.

The veteran's claim for a higher initial rating for bilateral hearing loss disability was denied as the evidence did not support a disability rating in excess of 20 percent.

The Board denied service connection for residuals of a left meningioma, status post craniotomy, and secondary conditions as there was no competent medical evidence linking the conditions to active duty or a service-connected disability.

The veteran's claim for a compensable evaluation for bilateral hearing loss was remanded for an additional VA examination to assess the current severity of his condition.

The veteran's claims for service connection for a left knee disability, bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were remanded for additional development.

The Board denied service connection for a left knee injury, a dental disorder, and various other conditions, as well as denied new and material evidence to reopen claims for several previously denied conditions. The veteran was granted a 10% rating for an eyebrow scar but not for scars on the biceps or shoulder.

The veteran's right ear hearing loss was rated at 0 percent, and he did not have recognized active military service sufficient for eligibility for VA non-service connected pension benefits.

The veteran's bilateral hearing loss is not manifested by an exceptional or unusual disability picture with such related factors as a marked interference with employment or frequent periods of hospitalization as to render impractical the application of the regular schedular standards.