Hearing loss decisions — 2008

The Board has determined that the appellant's current diagnoses of bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are causally related to his in-service noise exposure, and thus service connection is granted for these conditions.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss was not incurred in or aggravated by active duty and is not etiologically related to service. As a result, service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied.

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

The Board has determined that the appellant's bilateral hearing loss is related to noise exposure during active duty training (ACDUTRA) service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate VA examination and opinion regarding the veteran's employability due to his service-connected bilateral hearing loss.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss and residuals of osteomyelitis of the right femur, finding no evidence of a medical nexus between any current disabilities and his period of active service.

The Board found that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability did not meet the criteria for a compensable initial rating, as his average puretone thresholds and speech recognition scores did not exceed the levels contemplated for the currently assigned non-compensable rating.

The Board has determined that the veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus are not service-connected, as there is no evidence of a nexus between these conditions and his military service. The secondary service connection claim for hypertension due to diabetes mellitus was also denied. The evaluations for right knee fracture, diabetes mellitus, and diabetic neuropathy were not established based on the available evidence.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a current hearing loss disability in his right ear, as defined by VA regulations. Therefore, service connection for right ear hearing loss is denied.

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

The Board has determined that the veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not shown to be etiologically related to his military service.

The veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss is rated at 30 percent, but the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted.,The veteran's service-connected degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine is currently rated at 20 percent. The Board finds no basis to grant a higher rating.,The veteran's hiatal hernia and duodenal ulcer are currently rated as noncompensable, but the Board finds that a compensable rating is warranted based on their severity.,The cervical strain with limitation of motion is found to be secondary to service-connected low back disability. The Board grants service connection for this condition.,The veteran's bilateral knee disorder is not considered to be related to his service or any service-connected disability, and the Board denies service connection.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for right ear hearing loss and also denied his attempt to reopen a previously denied claim for pes planus. The denial of both claims is based on the absence of evidence of current disability meeting VA compensation criteria.

The veteran's right eye disability is rated at 10 percent, but the evidence does not support a higher rating.,The veteran's residuals of a fracture symphysis of the mandible are currently rated as noncompensable. The VA examiner found no residual effects from the injury.

The Board has granted an effective date of August 5, 2003 for the assignment of a 70 percent disability rating for service-connected PTSD. The veteran's claim for hearing loss was reopened and denied on the merits.

The Board denied service connection for testicular cancer and melanoma, as these conditions are not associated with exposure to herbicides. The claim for PTSD was denied due to lack of supporting clinical evidence or opinion.,Service connection for back injury and hearing loss were also denied because the veteran did not seek treatment for these conditions.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claimed conditions, including bilateral hearing loss, right and left shin disorders, and lumbosacral strain, are not service-connected as they were not incurred or aggravated during active duty.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss does not warrant a compensable evaluation under VA rating criteria.

The Board found that there is no competent evidence of current hearing loss or tinnitus disabilities, and thus denied the veteran's claims for service connection.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claim for service connection for otitis media with associated hearing loss and finds that there is at least equipoise evidence to support a finding of aggravation during service. Service connection is therefore granted.