Hearing loss decisions — 2008

The Board has dismissed the issue of entitlement to service connection for bilateral pes planus. The veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been denied as there is no current disability related to service by competent medical evidence.

The Board has determined that the veteran's tinnitus is likely due to noise exposure during his military service, and thus grants service connection for this condition. The hearing loss claim remains pending as there are no current medical findings provided in the record.

The Board has determined that the veteran's right ear hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to service, but has granted service connection for tinnitus as it is related to his service-connected left ear hearing loss.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence to determine if the veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to active duty, including any noise exposure.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there was no evidence of a current disability related to military service.

The veteran's bilateral hearing loss is not related to his active military service and was denied.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and a lung disability. The decision found that current evidence does not support these claims.

The Board finds that the veteran does not have current hearing loss in his left ear and there is no evidence of a service connection for right or left ear hearing loss. The Board also found no evidence to support tinnitus.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and hearing loss, and did not address his claim for reopening a previously denied gunshot wound to the back. The case is remanded for further action.

The VA denied a compensable evaluation for the veteran's right ear hearing loss, finding that his worst level of hearing impairment is Level VIII.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there is no medical evidence or opinion supporting a nexus between these conditions and his military service. The VA examiner concluded that current hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to service.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded due to his inability to attend the scheduled videoconference hearing. He has been given the option of a Travel Board hearing instead.

The Board found that the veteran's hearing acuity did not warrant a compensable rating, as it was at or below Level III in both ears. The appeal for an increased rating is denied.

The Board has granted the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus, finding that both conditions are related to acoustic trauma experienced during military service.

The veteran's bilateral hearing loss is manifested by pure tone threshold averages and speech recognition scores that correspond to level 'I' hearing on the right and level 'I' hearing on the left. The Board finds that the evidence of record preponderates against an initial compensable rating for the veteran's bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has remanded the case for further medical examinations to determine the etiology of the veteran's claimed conditions, including bilateral hearing loss, skin cancer, and shrapnel injuries. The claims will be reconsidered based on the new evidence.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining updated medical records and translating Spanish language documents. The veteran's claims of service connection for a psychiatric disability, skin disability, and sensorineural hearing loss are still pending.

The veteran's service-connected disabilities do not prevent him from engaging in employment consistent with his education and occupational experience.

The veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss was initially granted, but no specific evaluation was assigned prior to June 28, 2008.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for migraine headaches, hypertension, and an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were incurred or aggravated by service.