Hearing loss decisions — 2008

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD, right ear hearing loss, and tinnitus. The veteran's left ear hearing loss was found to be manifested by an average pure tone threshold of 47.5 decibels and speech discrimination score of 94, which is not considered a disability under VA criteria. The Board also denied the claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent for tinnitus.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a current disability for VA purposes and therefore cannot establish service connection for bilateral hearing loss or tinnitus. The Board finds no evidence of chronicity or continuity of symptomatology since service.

The veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss has been rated as noncompensable since November 5, 2004. The Board found that the evidence did not warrant a compensable rating.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of a low back injury, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus. The evidence does not support a finding that these conditions were incurred or aggravated by military service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for chronic right ear hearing loss disability and chronic tinnitus, as well as his claim for an initial compensable evaluation for left ear hearing loss disability. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were incurred or aggravated by active service.

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

The Board has remanded the case due to incomplete service records and the need for additional development, including verifying dates of service, obtaining medical records from various providers, and scheduling a VA examination.

The VA determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss does not meet the criteria for a compensable disability rating.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining medical records and conducting VA examinations to determine if the veteran's current lumbar spine disability, hearing loss, and tinnitus are related to his military service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and plasmacytoma (claimed as throat cancer), finding that there was no evidence of a nexus between these conditions and his military service, including exposure to herbicides.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that the veteran's current hearing impairment is related to his military service.

The Board has granted service connection for residuals of a left great toe injury, but denied service connection for right ear hearing loss.,The veteran's currently-diagnosed right ear hearing loss was not incurred in or aggravated by active service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including VA examinations to determine service connection and rating for various disabilities.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability, entitlement to service connection for cardiomyopathy, and a 10 percent disability rating for sinusitis prior to March 8, 2005. The veteran was not granted any of these claims.

The veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for the grants of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been denied as there is no evidence that a claim was filed prior to September 25, 2003.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for higher initial ratings for his bilateral knee and cervical spine disorders, laceration and cellulitis of the left hypothenar area, right bunionectomy, left bunionectomy, DuVries-Mann claw toe operation of the left second toe, and bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has determined that the veteran's left ear hearing loss disability is service-connected due to combat-related noise exposure. However, there is insufficient evidence to establish a right ear hearing loss disability for VA purposes.

The Board has remanded the case due to scheduling issues and needs further development before a decision can be made.

The Board has determined that the veteran's left ear hearing loss was incurred during service and is not due to a pre-existing condition. The claim for service connection is granted.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a current disability for which service connection may be granted, specifically right ear hearing loss and left foot condition. The evidence does not support a finding of in-service injury or disease related to these conditions.