Hearing loss decisions — 2009

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not service-connected, as there is no evidence of in-service noise exposure or a compensable degree of hearing loss within one year post-service. The preponderance of the evidence supports the conclusion that these conditions are due to occupational noise exposure after service.

The Board denied the appellant's claims for service connection for tinnitus, hearing loss disability, and low back disability. The decision also noted that new and material evidence had not been presented to reopen these claims.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral sensorineural hearing loss is related to his military service and grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining service treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to determine the etiology of hearing loss, tinnitus, and a back disability.

The Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to March 21, 2006 for the grant of service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied as he did not submit a formal or informal claim before that date.

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

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were denied. The initial rating for bilateral hearing loss was upheld at 10 percent, while the claims for right and left knee disorders were not supported by evidence of service connection.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss disability was denied as the evidence did not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation.

The Board found that the Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his active duty service, and thus denied both claims.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions do not render him unemployable, as he is capable of performing the physical and mental acts required by employment.

The Board has determined that the appellant does not have qualifying service and is therefore ineligible for VA benefits, leading to a denial of his claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss disability.

The Veteran's claims for special monthly compensation, increased ratings for bilateral hearing loss and knee disabilities have been denied. The appeal is not about service connection at all.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently evaluated as 10 percent disabling, and the Board finds no evidence to support a higher rating based on his complaints or medical findings.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the award of a total rating for compensation based upon individual unemployability due to service-connected disability, finding that the January 2003 rating decision did not contain clear and unmistakable error.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his service-connected bilateral hearing loss is denied. The Board has remanded the matter to obtain a more contemporaneous audiological evaluation.

The Veteran's appeal of the February 1951 rating decision denying service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to CUE is dismissed as his motion was inadequately pled.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for bilateral hearing loss was granted, with a 10 percent rating effective October 14, 2008.

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

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding no evidence of a current disability and concluding that any current hearing loss is not related to his military service.