Hearing loss decisions — 2008

The Board has denied service connection for chronic headaches, gastritis, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus as the veteran's conditions existed prior to service or were not aggravated by service.

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete records and need for further development, including verification of service periods and obtaining VA audiology records. The veteran's claim will be reconsidered after these steps are completed.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and readjudication due to an inaccurate factual predicate in a previous opinion.

The VA determined that the veteran's hearing loss was not incurred or aggravated by service, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Board found that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not related to his military service, specifically noting that there was no evidence of noise exposure or other incidents in service. The Board also noted that the medical opinions provided by VA examiners did not support a finding of service connection.

The Board denied service connection for right ear hearing loss, tinnitus, and left ear hearing loss. The veteran's current hearing loss in the right ear was not incurred or aggravated by noise exposure during service. Tinnitus was also not linked to service. Service-connected left ear hearing loss has been assigned a non-compensable rating.

The Board found that the veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his active service, and thus denied his claims for service connection.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims of service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there is no evidence to support a nexus between these conditions and his military service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claimed conditions, including bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, right hand arthritis, and a right hand disorder (including Raynaud's disease), are not related to his military service. As such, service connection for these conditions is denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and PTSD, finding that there was no credible evidence of in-service stressors or exposure to acoustic trauma.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining September 2004 VA audiological test results and scheduling an audiological evaluation if deemed warranted.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for postoperative residuals of a right knee osteochondroma, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus. The claim for an effective date prior to July 17, 2003, for the grant of service connection for a postoperative scar was also denied.

The Board has decided to remand the case for further examination and opinion regarding the veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss, peripheral neuropathy of the right and left lower extremities are denied as there is no evidence showing a more than mild degree of disability.

The veteran is seeking an increased rating for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss. The Board has determined that additional development is necessary prior to the adjudication of this claim.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and found that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss is a direct result of his active duty service. The issue of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss remains pending.

The veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and conducting a VA examination.

The Board denied the veteran's requests to reopen his claims of service connection for arthritis and hearing loss, finding that new evidence did not raise a reasonable possibility of substantiating these claims.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus due to lack of current disability evidence.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there is no competent evidence linking these conditions to his military service.