Hearing loss decisions — 2010

The Board has determined that there is a nexus between the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and service, granting his claim for service connection.

The Board denied the appellant's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that his current disability did not meet the criteria for a current disability as defined by VA regulations.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is less likely caused by noise exposure during service and more likely due to occupational noise exposure post-service.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for bilateral hearing loss has been dismissed due to his death.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's left ear hearing loss does not warrant a compensable disability rating under the applicable rating criteria.

The Veteran's right ear hearing loss is currently rated as noncompensable (0%) due to the presence of exceptional hearing loss, resulting in a Level III impairment. The effective date for this rating decision is not specified.

The Veteran's migraine headaches were not productive of very frequent completely prostrating and prolonged attacks productive of severe economic inadaptability before May 25, 2007. From May 25, 2007, the criteria for a rating of 50 percent for migraine headaches have been met.,The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was not found to meet or approximate the criteria for a compensable evaluation.

The Board is remanding the case to obtain VA medical records and to ensure that all due process requirements are met before adjudicating the claims for service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities do not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and his TDIU claim is denied.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss was initially rated as noncompensable prior to June 8, 2009. Since then, he has been assigned a 10% disability rating effective June 8, 2009.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current hearing loss disability in the left ear is related to his military service. The right ear hearing loss was not found to be incurred or aggravated by service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and right eye strabismus were denied as there is no evidence of a current disability meeting the criteria for a hearing loss disability under VA regulations, and the Veteran did not have any complaints or findings related to her right eye after service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have current right ear hearing loss, and thus, service connection for this condition is denied.

Your claims for service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus are being remanded to the RO for additional development.

The Board has determined that the original grant of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus was based on clear and unmistakable error, and thus the severance of these conditions from service connection is proper.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability and tinnitus were not incurred in service, nor are they proximately due to or the result of a disease or injury in service. The evidence does not support a finding of direct service connection for these conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including right foot, ankle and hip injuries, as well as vision loss and hypertension secondary to diabetes, were denied.

The Veteran's initial compensable rating for left ear hearing loss was denied, and the effective date for a 10 percent disability rating for tinnitus was also denied.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for PTSD was denied as his claimed stressors could not be verified, and he did not engage in combat. The Board found that the evidence does not support a diagnosis of PTSD due to an in-service stressor.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability is related to his in-service noise exposure, and thus service connection for this condition is granted.