Hearing loss decisions — 2011

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his active service, with all doubts resolved in favor of the Veteran.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and bilateral tinnitus as there was no current disability meeting the VA criteria for a hearing loss disability, and insufficient competent medical evidence to support a nexus between in-service noise exposure and either condition.

The Veteran's hearing loss, sinusitis, rhinitis, bronchitis, COPD, insomnia, allergies, substance dependence, and depression were not found to be related to service or service-connected conditions.

The Board has remanded the appellant's claims of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss and hypertension, as secondary to diabetes mellitus, Type II, due to incomplete development and inadequate medical opinions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss does not warrant a compensable evaluation at any time during the appeal period.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus for purposes of accrued benefits based on the Veteran's active duty service.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and hypertension. The decision is based on a finding that these conditions are not related to active duty service.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's hearing acuity did not meet the threshold requirements for a disability due to impaired hearing for VA purposes.

The Veteran's bilateral sensorineural hearing loss and tinnitus have been evaluated based on the applicable rating criteria, with no higher evaluations being warranted. The Veteran does not meet the criteria for a compensable evaluation for his bilateral sensorineural hearing loss or for an evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his tinnitus.

The Board has remanded the case due to issues related to the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, including scheduling a VA examination.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including depression, renal insufficiency with hypertension, incisional hernia, diabetes mellitus with retinopathy and impotence, right knee disability, left knee disability, neurodermatitis, tinnitus, limitation of motion of the right knee, hearing loss, and other conditions have rendered him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board finds that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred in or aggravated by service, as there is no evidence of a nexus between these conditions and his military noise exposure. The December 2008 VA examiner concluded that the Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus are less likely than not caused by or a result of noise trauma in the army.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to in-service noise exposure, and thus service connection is granted for these conditions.

The Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus were not found to be related to service or service-connected conditions.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been granted, effective from March 21, 1994. The Board found that the earliest date of entitlement to these conditions was February 3, 1983, for bilateral hearing loss and January 5, 1994, for tinnitus.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability is not related to service, and thus denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's esophageal cancer, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus were not incurred in or aggravated by active service. The Board found no evidence of current disabilities for these conditions.

The VA determined that the appellant's bilateral hearing loss did not warrant a compensable evaluation prior to June 18, 2007. From June 18, 2007, his condition was rated as noncompensable.

The Board has remanded the case for further development and consideration, including scheduling a VA examination to determine if the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are related to his military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left ear hearing loss and low back disability, finding that there was no evidence of a current disability or a link to service.