Hearing loss decisions — 2008

The Board has denied the veteran's claims to reopen his service connection claims for hearing loss and psoriasis as new and material evidence was not submitted.

The Board has denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the evidence does not support a nexus between current disabilities and military service.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed, including obtaining medical records and scheduling the veteran for an audiometric examination to determine if his hearing loss and tinnitus are related to service.

The Board found no evidence to support the veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, as his current conditions are not related to his military service.

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

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a hearing loss disorder and therefore, service connection for this condition is denied.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including providing proper notice to reopen a claim of service connection for sleep apnea and allowing the veteran's representative (TVC) an opportunity to respond to a supplemental statement of the case.

The Board found no evidence to support the veteran's claims of hearing loss and tinnitus being related to his service, including noise exposure. As a result, these claims were denied.

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

The Board denied the veteran's claims for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss and diplopia, as well as his claim for service connection for hypertension. The veteran's hearing loss was rated at zero percent (noncompensable), while his diplopia did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating. Hypertension was found to be unrelated to service or a service-connected disability.

The Board has determined that the veteran's currently diagnosed bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his military service, including exposure to loud noises during combat. As such, these conditions were denied as not being incurred in or aggravated by service.

The veteran's bilateral hearing loss is related to service noise exposure and has been granted service connection. The issue of tinnitus remains pending as it was not addressed in the July 2004 rating decision.

The Board found that the veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred or aggravated by service, as there was no evidence of such conditions during service. The Board also noted that the veteran did not report any complaints related to his ears at either his enlistment or separation examinations.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for further examination and opinion regarding his claims of bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have current bilateral hearing loss or tinnitus disability as defined by VA regulations, and thus cannot establish service connection for these conditions.

The Board has determined that the veteran's tinnitus is related to his service-connected bilateral hearing loss, and thus grants service connection for tinnitus.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and recurrent tinnitus are not related to his active military service, and thus denied both claims.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient rationale in the previous examination report and lack of consideration of the veteran's malaria treatment with chloroquine. A new VA examination is needed to address these issues.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, and a stomach disorder due to lack of competent evidence linking these conditions to his military service.