Hearing loss decisions — 2012

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral sensorineural hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred in or aggravated by active service, nor may they be presumed to have been incurred therein. The most persuasive evidence fails to establish a link between these conditions and his military service.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a service-connected hearing loss or tinnitus, and finds no evidence of heart disability related to service. The claims are therefore denied.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus is being remanded due to inadequate examination findings. The claims will be re-adjudicated after the necessary development.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss had its onset during active service and is therefore granted service connection.

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

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to a no-show at the scheduled videoconference hearing. The RO must attempt to obtain VA treatment records from March 2011 to the present and schedule the Veteran for a new videoconference hearing.

The Veteran's claims for hearing loss and tinnitus are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examination.

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

The Veteran's appeals for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and a skin disorder have been dismissed due to the withdrawal of his claims by his representative.

The Board found that the Veteran did not have current right ear hearing loss or tinnitus disabilities, and denied service connection for these conditions. The left ear hearing loss was also denied as there is no evidence of a qualifying disability under VA criteria.

The Veteran's appeal for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is dismissed. The Board has determined that the Veteran meets the criteria for service connection for paralysis of the left diaphragm, with no residuals other than paralysis itself.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The Veteran's exposure to noise during active service is established, as well as his current diagnosis of bilateral hearing loss. Given this evidence, the Board finds in favor of granting service connection for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's hearing loss is related to service and grants service connection for bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss has not resulted in a compensable disability evaluation as his average pure-tone threshold did not meet the criteria for any higher rating.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability is not attributable to his military service, including exposure to hazardous noise.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including a VA examination and consideration of whether the Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unemployable. The claim will be readjudicated after these actions.

The Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, squamous cell carcinoma, digestive disorder, and erectile dysfunction were denied as there is no competent evidence showing a link between these conditions and service.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was rated at 90 percent prior to August 25, 2008 and remains at that level from August 25, 2008 through September 29, 2011.

The Veteran's claims for increased ratings and service connection were addressed. The mood disorder with depression was granted a 50% rating effective November 18, 2004. Service connection for hypertension and asthma were denied.