Hearing loss decisions — 2008

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for left ear hearing loss, tinnitus, arthritis of the right knee and back, and a heart condition. The evidence does not support a finding that these conditions are related to active service.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a current hearing loss disability or tinnitus, and there is no evidence linking these conditions to service. Therefore, the claims for service connection are denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a current diagnosis of otitis media or hearing loss in his left ear, and thus cannot establish service connection for these conditions.

The Board found that the veteran's current condition was not caused by VA medical treatment and thus denied his claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining updated VA medical records and scheduling a VA audiological examination.

The VA determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss does not warrant a rating higher than 10 percent.

The VA determined that the veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss does not warrant a compensable rating.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current hearing loss and tinnitus did not have onset during service or within one year of separation, and are not etiologically related to his active service. The evaluation for PTSD remains at 30 percent.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, lumbar spine disability, and cervical spine disability are all related to his military service.

The Board has dismissed the appeals for service connection of the residuals of an injury to the left index finger, hearing loss disability, tinnitus, sinusitis, and headaches as the veteran withdrew these issues. The claim for bilateral eye disability (glaucoma) was denied due to lack of evidence of pre-service glaucoma at entry into active military duty.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for increased ratings for his service-connected bilateral high frequency hearing loss and left eye pterygium, finding no evidence of a compensable rating under applicable VA regulations.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss is service-connected, but his tinnitus claim is denied.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings were denied by operation of law due to his failure without good cause to report for VA examinations.

The veteran's claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss from July 16, 2002 through February 5, 2007 was denied. The claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent for bilateral hearing loss from February 5, 2007 is also denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, hearing loss, and tinnitus as there was no credible evidence of in-service stressors or verified combat experience. The VA medical records did not show current diagnoses of these conditions.

The Board found no medical evidence to support a relationship between the veteran's current hearing loss and tinnitus and his military service, thus denying both claims.

The Board has granted service connection for a left shoulder disorder and denied service connection for hearing loss. The veteran's left shoulder disorder is considered to be related to his in-service injury, while the evidence does not support a finding of current service-connected hearing loss.

The Board has determined that the veteran's hearing loss did not first manifest during service and is not attributable to any incident or disease of active military service, including exposure to loud noise. As a result, the claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and rheumatic fever as there was no evidence of a nexus between these conditions and his active service.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including obtaining medical records and arranging for a VA pension examination to determine the nature, extent, and severity of his disabilities.