Hearing loss decisions — 2009

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hearing loss disability of the left ear and tinnitus was denied as there is no evidence of a current disability during the pendency of this claim. The Veteran's fungus infection of the feet was not rated initially.

The VA determined that the Veteran's hearing loss did not occur during service and is not related to his military service, thus denying his claim for service connection.

The VA determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred or aggravated by active service, and therefore denied his claims.

The Board denied service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder other than PTSD, claimed as depression; sinusitis; bladder neck contracture with median lobe hypertrophy; bilateral hearing loss; and tinnitus. The Veteran's claims were not supported by competent medical evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred or aggravated by active duty service, nor may service connection be presumed. The Board denied the claims for these conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current hearing loss disability for VA purposes and his tinnitus is not related to service. Therefore, service connection for both conditions is denied.

The Board found that the Veteran's left and right ear hearing loss did not meet the criteria for service connection as there was no evidence of aggravation during service, and the pre-existing conditions were not shown to have worsened.

The Board found no evidence of aggravation of pre-existing bilateral hearing loss during service and denied the claim for service connection. For tinnitus, there was insufficient evidence to establish its onset in service.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability was initially rated at noncompensable prior to April 17, 2008. The RO increased the rating to 20 percent effective April 17, 2008.

The Board found no evidence of chronic hearing loss in service and concluded that the Veteran's current hearing impairment is not related to his military service. The issue of severing service connection for diabetes mellitus and associated cataracts was also denied as there was no clear and unmistakable error in the original grant.

The Board found that the appellant's current hearing loss, tinnitus, and vertigo are not causally related to his active service or any incident therein, including exposure to acoustic trauma. Therefore, service connection for these conditions was denied.

The Board found no evidence of hearing loss during service and denied the Veteran's claim for service connection as his current bilateral hearing loss is not related to military noise exposure.

The Board finds that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability is consistent with his in-service acoustic trauma and symptoms, thus granting service connection for bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and allergic rhinitis are being remanded due to the need for additional development including obtaining treatment records from Pensacola VA Outpatient Clinic and a new VA examination.

The Board has decided to remand the case for additional development, including obtaining SSA records and scheduling an audiometry examination.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have current bilateral hearing loss or tinnitus for VA purposes and thus, service connection is denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are at least partly due to noise exposure during his military service, resolving all doubts in favor of the Veteran.

The Veteran's claim for reopening his bilateral hearing loss claim has been granted, with service connection now being granted.,Service connection is granted for bilateral hearing loss as it is related to noise exposure during service. However, the Veteran's sleep apnea was not found to be caused by in-service Agent Orange exposure and is therefore denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current hearing loss disability in either ear or tinnitus, and therefore cannot establish service connection for these conditions.

The Board found no competent evidence linking the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus to his military service, resulting in a denial of both claims.