Hearing loss decisions — 2009

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for tinnitus and hearing loss, concluding that there was no evidence to support a link between these conditions and his military service.

The Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss was not incurred in or aggravated by active service. The Board found that the more probative evidence established that the Veteran's hearing loss is not related to his military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is not related to his military service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Board found new and material evidence to reopen the claims for service connection of hearing loss, COPD, and periodontal disease. However, it did not find such evidence sufficient to establish service connection.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability has been clinically shown to be manifested by no worse than Level I hearing in each ear, and his residuals of right foot 5th toe fracture have not met the criteria for an initial rating greater than 10 percent. The claims are denied.

The Veteran requested to withdraw his appeal for service connection for melanomas of the neck and arms due to herbicide exposure. The Board dismissed this issue as a result.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not service-connected, as they developed during a period of active duty for training (ACDUTRA) or inactive duty training (INACDUTRA), and were not made permanently worse by his military service.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding no evidence of in-service injury or disease. The Veteran's left shoulder disability was also not found to be related to service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his military service, as there is no medical evidence supporting a link between these conditions and his time in active duty.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus due to a lack of VA records from his treatment in 1955 and 1957 at the Manhattan VAMC. The claims will be readjudicated after obtaining these records.

The Board found that the Veteran's claimed right ear hearing loss, dizziness, balance impairment, and vertigo were not caused or aggravated by carelessness, negligence, lack of proper skill, or error in judgment on the part of VA in furnishing hospital care, medical or surgical treatment, nor was such the result of an event not reasonably foreseeable. Therefore, the claim for compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 has been denied.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was not compensably rated prior to October 5, 2005.,From October 5, 2005 to March 24, 2009, the Veteran was entitled to a disability rating of at least 10 percent for his bilateral hearing loss.,After March 24, 2009, the Veteran's disability rating for bilateral hearing loss increased to 30 percent.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred in or aggravated by service, nor may they be presumed to have been so incurred. The preponderance of evidence shows that these conditions did not have their onset during service and are more likely related to aging.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection on all issues was granted, with the exception of right knee disability which was withdrawn by the Veteran. The Board found that the Veteran has PTSD and tinnitus due to his active duty service.

The Board finds that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is related to his military service, specifically to excessive noise exposure (acoustic trauma). The decision grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has remanded the case due to inadequate examination and incomplete medical records, particularly National Guard service records. The appellant's hearing loss is being evaluated for a possible connection to military service exposure.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was not incurred in or aggravated by his active service, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's claims of entitlement to disability ratings in excess of 30 percent for bilateral hearing loss and 10 percent for tinnitus have been denied. The maximum schedular evaluation assignable for the service-connected tinnitus has already been assigned.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the etiology of the Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus, which may be related to service.

The Veteran is seeking service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, which he contends resulted from noise exposure during his military service. The case has been remanded due to the need for clarification of the basis for a VA examiner's opinion regarding the etiology of these conditions.