Hearing loss decisions — 2009

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his military service, as there is no evidence of such conditions during or immediately following service. The claims for service connection have been denied.

The Veteran's claim for an increased evaluation for his left ear hearing loss is being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination.

The Board found no evidence to support a finding of service connection for the Veteran's hearing loss, concluding that it was acquired post-service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and a left foot condition. The evidence did not meet the criteria for hearing loss as defined by VA regulations, and there was no diagnosed current tinnitus or left foot condition.

The Board denied the Veteran's request for an earlier effective date of 8 July 2005 for service connection of bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the February 14, 2005 document did not constitute a valid informal claim.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his military service, nor may they be presumed to have been incurred in service. Therefore, the claims for service connection were denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his service, and thus denied these claims.

The Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred or aggravated by active military service. His heart condition was also not related to his military service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including VA examinations to determine the presence of hearing loss and tinnitus disabilities, as well as their etiology. The Veteran may also have residuals from a hand injury during service.

The Board found that the Veteran's left ear hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred in or aggravated by his active service, as there was no evidence of chronicity in service and no showing of continuity of symptoms after discharge. The Board concluded that the preponderance of the evidence is against the claims for service connection.

The Veteran does not have macular degeneration or hearing loss that is related to his military service. The Board finds no competent evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Board has granted service connection for a left ankle disorder, hearing loss in the right ear, and tinnitus. Hearing loss in the left ear is not considered a disability under VA criteria.

The Board has granted service connection for arthrosis and tendonitis of the left shoulder, but denied service connection for hearing loss, left knee disability, right knee disability, and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to in-service noise exposure, with all reasonable doubt resolved in favor of the claimant. Therefore, service connection for both conditions is granted.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's conditions had their onset during active service.

The Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the grant of service connection for bilateral hearing loss was denied as no formal or informal claim to reopen the claim prior to May 31, 2007 has been received.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not meet the criteria for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability due to his employment as a farmer.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, neck disability, and back disability were denied. The Board found that there was no competent evidence of current disabilities or a nexus between the claimed conditions and service.

The Board found no evidence of hearing loss or tinnitus during service, and the Veteran's current conditions are not shown to be related to his military service. Therefore, service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus is denied.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for residuals of a ruptured tympanic membrane is denied as there is no current evidence of such condition. The Board finds that the Veteran does not have a current disability related to his in-service perforated eardrum.