Hearing loss decisions — 2010

The Board has granted service connection for right ear hearing loss, left ear hearing loss, and bilateral tinnitus based on in-service onset of these conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, hypertension, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus were denied. The Board found that there was no evidence of herbicide exposure in Vietnam, and thus the presumption does not apply to these conditions.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining VA and private medical records related to hearing loss and tinnitus. The appellant's service connection claims will be reconsidered based on the new evidence.

The Board finds that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his active service, with some degree of hearing loss noted during service. The decision grants service connection for these conditions.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred in or aggravated by service, as there was no evidence of a nexus between his current conditions and military service. The preponderance of the evidence is against both claims.

The Veteran's tinnitus is causally related to his active duty service and the Board has granted service connection for this condition.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his military service, with a private examiner linking these conditions to noise exposure during active duty. As such, the claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been granted.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including a new medical examination and consideration of various theories of service connection.

The Veteran has withdrawn his appeals for all issues involving increased evaluations for peripheral neuropathy and vascular disease. As a result, the claims are dismissed.

The Veteran's service connection claim for bilateral hearing loss is granted as his current hearing loss disability had onset during his active service.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss has been manifested by no more than level III hearing loss in the right ear and level I hearing loss in the left ear, which does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating. The Board found that the available schedular evaluations adequately describe his disability level and symptomatology.

The Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is found to be related to his military service, and the claim for service connection for this condition is granted. The issue of residuals of dental trauma remains pending as there are insufficient findings regarding the specific nature of the Veteran's dental condition.

The Board finds that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his in-service noise exposure, and grants service connection for both conditions.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied as there is no evidence of a current disability.

The Veteran's claims of entitlement to a compensable evaluation for right ear hearing loss, service connection for low back disorder, and service connection for bilateral knee disorder have been denied due to his failure to cooperate with the VA by failing to report for scheduled examinations.

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

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there was not sufficient evidence to establish a link between these conditions and his military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including bilateral hearing loss, a skin disability other than pseudofolliculitis barbae, headaches, left wrist and foot disabilities, tinnitus, lung disability, and left hand disability. The decision also addressed issues related to initial compensable ratings for hallux valgus of the feet and sinusitis.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is being remanded due to the need for additional evidence and interpretation of private audiometry reports.

The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for service-connected bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus was denied by the Board of Veterans' Appeals. The maximum rating of 10 percent is assigned for each condition, as per VA regulations.