Hearing loss decisions — 2008

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

The Board has determined that the veteran's claimed bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his military service, as there is no evidence of a chronic condition during or immediately after service. The current hearing loss in the right ear was diagnosed many years after service, and the examiner opined it was unlikely to be due to noise exposure in service.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have bilateral hearing loss disability for VA compensation purposes and therefore, service connection is denied.

The veteran's service-connected hypertension is rated at 10% due to continuous medication. His bilateral hearing loss is also rated at 10%. The ratings are based on the severity of his disability as determined by VA audiometric evaluations.

The veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to his request for a Board hearing, and no other decisions have been made on the merits of these claims.

The Board has determined that the reduction in disability rating for hearing loss from 10% to noncompensable effective September 1, 2006 was not proper. The veteran's entitlement to a disability rating in excess of 10% for his service-connected hearing loss is denied.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and skin cancer, both found to be related to exposure to ionizing radiation during service. Service connection was denied for bladder cancer and blood disorder due to lack of evidence linking these conditions to service or exposure to ionizing radiation. The veteran's service-connected dyshidrosis with hyperhidrosis is rated as 10 percent disabling.

The veteran's claims for PTSD, bilateral hearing loss disability, and residuals of a cold injury were denied as there is no evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a current hearing loss disability in his right ear and therefore cannot establish service connection for this condition. The Board also found no evidence of tinnitus during or immediately after service, and thus denied service connection for tinnitus.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding no evidence of in-service hearing loss or tinnitus, and concluding that any current hearing loss is not related to his military service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus are more likely than not attributable to his military service, including exposure to noise during combat in Korea. As a result, the veteran is granted service connection for both conditions.

The Board has denied the veteran's claim for an initial compensable evaluation for right ear hearing loss, finding that his level I hearing impairment does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating under VA regulations.

The VA has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is currently rated at 30 percent, which is the maximum rating available under the applicable criteria. The evidence does not support a higher initial rating.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not currently have a hearing loss disability in his right ear as defined by VA regulation, and there is no evidence of chronic permanent hearing loss. The Board finds it less likely than not that the veteran's current hearing loss is related to military noise exposure during his period of active service.

The veteran's claims for service connection for various disabilities, including those related to herbicide exposure, were denied. The effective dates for some of the conditions and ratings are established but not earlier than specified.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to noise exposure during service, and thus grants service connection for these conditions.

The appellant has withdrawn his appeals for the issues of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and left wrist strain.

The Board finds that the veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is as likely as not due to acoustic trauma during his active service, which included combat with the enemy while serving in the Republic of Vietnam. Therefore, the claim for service connection for BHL is granted.

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

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The veteran's currently demonstrated bilateral sensorineural hearing loss is found to be due to excessive noise exposure during active service.