Hearing loss Board decisions

The Veteran's service connection claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been denied as there is no competent evidence of a nexus between the current disabilities and his military service, including noise exposure.

The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating prior to April 17, 2009 and a rating in excess of 10 percent since April 17, 2009 for bilateral hearing loss has been granted. The RO assigned a noncompensable (0%) rating effective July 3, 2007, which was increased to a 10% rating effective April 17, 2009.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for pes planus, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus due to a lack of evidence showing these conditions were incurred in or aggravated by his military service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is being remanded for additional development, including an audiometric examination.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's migraine headaches, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus are all related to his service. The Veteran's migraine headaches were incurred during service, his bilateral hearing loss is not related to service, and his tinnitus began after service.

The Veteran's appeals for service connection on eight specific conditions have been withdrawn.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claim for service connection for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine, tinnitus, left ear hearing loss, and right ear hearing loss is denied as there is no competent medical evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Veteran has been granted service connection for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss, which are found to be the result of combat-related acoustic trauma sustained during his military service.

The Board has determined that the appellant's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been denied as there is no evidence of in-service noise exposure or a nexus to service.

The Veteran's claim for an initial compensable evaluation for bilateral hearing loss is being remanded due to the need to obtain additional private records and a new VA examination.

The Board found that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss did not have onset in service or within one year of service and was not caused or aggravated by his active service. Therefore, the claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied.

The Board found no evidence of a connection between the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus and his military service, including exposure to noise. The Veteran's claims for service connection were denied.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including scheduling a VA examination to assess his claimed tinnitus and obtaining Army National Guard treatment records.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are due to in-service acoustic trauma, and service connection is granted.

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

The Board found no evidence of a current disability related to service, and thus denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus.

The Veteran's claims for higher initial rating for bilateral hearing loss and earlier effective dates for service connection are denied as a matter of law due to the finality of previous decisions. The claim for tinnitus has been granted with an effective date of December 14, 2006.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including obtaining VA medical records and scheduling a VA examination. The issues of increased ratings for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss, as well as service connection for dizziness and vertigo, are also pending.

The Veteran is seeking service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, which he attributes to noise exposure during active service. The Board has determined that a VA examination is needed to assess the etiology of his current conditions.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss warrants a 50 percent disability rating, effective from September 26, 2003.