Hearing loss decisions — 2010

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is not related to his military service, including noise exposure. The preponderance of evidence does not support a grant of service connection for this condition.

The Board denied an initial schedular evaluation in excess of 40 percent for the Veteran's service-connected fibromyalgia with headaches, sleeplessness, fatigue, and diffuse multiple joint pain. The issue of whether separate ratings for individual joint disabilities are warranted was also denied.

The Veteran's service connection claims for unspecified ear damage, right collar bone fracture, and right knee degenerative joint disease have all been granted.

The Board finds that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is related to his in-service exposure to acoustic trauma, and grants service connection for this condition.

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

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

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are being remanded due to the need for additional VA examinations.

The Board found that the Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss disability does not present an exceptional or unusual disability picture, and thus did not warrant an extraschedular rating. The claim for an increased schedular rating was granted.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional VA examinations.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tonsillitis/peritonsillar cellulitis, respiratory disease, pyuria, a right thumb injury (dominant), and herpes. The VA medical records did not show any current disabilities or evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and hemorrhoids were denied. The claim of reduction in rating for prostate cancer was also denied.

The Veteran's service-connected tinnitus is assigned a 10 percent rating, the maximum rating authorized under Diagnostic Code 6260. There is no legal basis for the assignment of a schedular evaluation in excess of 10 percent for bilateral tinnitus.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for right ear hearing loss, finding no competent evidence linking his current condition to service or noise exposure.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were denied as there was no evidence of in-service noise exposure or an upward shift in hearing thresholds. The claim for service connection for PTSD was also denied, with the examiner indicating that the current symptoms are less likely related to military noise exposure.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss, headaches, shortness of breath, hypertension, and thyroid condition. The Board found that there was no evidence of continuity of symptomatology following service and concluded that the current diagnoses were not related to service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus did not have onset in service or due to service, and thus denied his claims for service connection.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including bilateral knee condition, left ear hearing loss, and left ankle condition. The lumbar stenosis and thoracic myelopathy were also considered but not granted.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is found to be incurred in service, and the Board grants service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, and sinusitis were denied. The maximum schedular rating of 10 percent for tinnitus was granted.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinions regarding the etiology of his current hearing loss.