Hearing loss decisions — 2008

The veteran's hearing loss of the left ear is not service-connected, and his increased rating claim for meniscal tear of the left knee (left knee disability) was denied.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss, but denied service connection for tinnitus.

The Board finds that the evidence is in equipoise as to whether the veteran's hearing loss is related to his military service, and therefore grants the claim of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board found that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss did not manifest in service or for a year thereafter, and there is no evidence linking his current hearing loss to military service. The Board concluded that the veteran was exposed to acoustic trauma during service but could not establish a link between his current hearing loss and his military service.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a current disability for service connection purposes related to his claimed hearing loss, gallbladder removal, dermatitis, and cellulitis. The VA examination did not show any current disabilities in these conditions.

The veteran is seeking service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and a left hip disability. The Board finds that comprehensive medical examinations are needed to determine the nature and etiology of these conditions, as well as whether they are related to his military service or secondary to his service-connected left foot disability.

The veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus are found to be related to in-service noise exposure. The veteran also has asbestosis with lung scarring, which is linked to his in-service asbestos exposure.

The veteran's service-connected dysthymic disorder/PTSD, rated at 70 percent disabling, has prevented him from securing and maintaining substantially gainful employment due to his psychiatric disability.

The VA denied the veteran's claim for a higher initial evaluation for his bilateral hearing loss, finding that the evidence did not support a compensable rating.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral sensorineural hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his military service, including National Guard service. The evidence does not support a finding of in-service incurrence or aggravation of these conditions.

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

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus, finding that the evidence is at least in equipoise that these conditions are related to active service due to noise exposure.

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

The Board denied a compensable initial disability rating for bilateral hearing loss and found that the veteran's service-connected prostate cancer warranted a 20 percent disability rating, effective May 1, 2004. The issue of an increased disability rating for prostate cancer is remanded.

The veteran's claim for an initial compensable evaluation for bilateral hearing loss was denied in a June 2005 rating decision. The case is being remanded to the RO for additional development, including compliance with VCAA notice requirements and scheduling of a VA audiometry examination.

The veteran's claim for an initial evaluation in excess of 10 percent for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus has been denied as the evidence does not show that the schedular criteria are inadequate for evaluating his conditions.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for a VA audiological examination and nexus opinion regarding the veteran's hearing loss, as well as verification of whether the veteran was engaged in combat during service.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss, an ulcer, residuals of heat exhaustion and fatigue, a left ankle sprain, and a dental condition involving wisdom teeth. The evidence does not meet the criteria for a disability as defined by VA regulations.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including a VA examination to assess his employability due to service-connected disabilities.

The Board found that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred in service, as there was no evidence of such conditions during his active duty. The VA examiner concluded that the current hearing loss and tinnitus are less likely due to noise exposure during service.