Hearing loss decisions — 2012

The preponderance of the evidence is against finding that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was incurred or aggravated by active service, and a sensorineural hearing loss may not be presumed to have been so incurred.

The Board has granted service connection for left ear hearing loss, finding that the Veteran's current left ear hearing loss is as likely as not incurred during his military service. The matter of a compensable rating for service-connected bilateral hearing loss (previously, a claim for increased rating for right ear hearing loss) remains on appeal and will be remanded to the RO.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and increased the rating for the Veteran's left ankle disability to 40 percent. The claim for increased ratings for his wrist disability was denied.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss was denied as a matter of law due to his failure to report for a scheduled VA examination.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA examination reports and treatment records. The claim will be reconsidered based on the new evidence.

The Veteran is granted service connection for right ear sensorineural hearing loss, but denied service connection for peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral lower extremities.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for hearing loss, residuals of head injury, adjustment disorder with depressed mood, hypertension, fatty liver, glucose intolerance, and lumbar degenerative arthritis. The decision also addressed a claim for overpayment of pension benefits.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for a right wrist disorder and bilateral hearing loss, finding no credible evidence linking these conditions to his active duty. The claim for an initial rating in excess of 30 percent for PTSD was also denied.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current condition is likely due to noise exposure during his military service. Service connection was denied for bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran does not have right ear hearing loss or tinnitus as a result of disease or injury incurred in service. The Board finds that the preponderance of evidence is against these claims.

The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied across the board. The Board found no evidence of chronic disabilities in service or continuous symptoms since service separation.

The Board has granted service connection for right ear hearing loss and denied service connection for left ear hearing loss and tinnitus. Right ear hearing loss is found to be due to noise exposure during military service.

The Board has granted service connection for coronary artery disease, presumed due to exposure to herbicides in Vietnam. Service connection was denied for hearing loss, internal hemorrhoids, ulcerative proctitis, hypertension, a heart disorder (presumed secondary to hypertension), right kidney disorder (renal cell carcinoma), Hashimoto's thyroiditis with goiter, and gallstones.

The Board has denied the appellant's claims for service connection for various conditions, including anxiety disorder, hemorrhoids, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, athlete's foot and toenail fungus, plantar fasciitis, sinus disability, high cholesterol, heart disability, back disability with sciatica, numbness of the right lower extremity, ruptured disc, neck injury, and left arm and shoulder disability. The Board found that there was no evidence to support these claims.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is currently rated as noncompensable, with pure tone thresholds and speech recognition scores indicating a non-compensable disability level.

The Veteran is not rendered unable to obtain or maintain substantially gainful employment as a result of his service-connected disabilities.