Hearing loss Board decisions

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

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

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was not incurred in or aggravated by active service, and the Board finds that there is no evidence to support a grant of service connection for this condition.

The Veteran's perforated tympanic membrane and resultant conductive hearing loss in the left ear are found to be not reasonably foreseeable outcomes of VA medical treatment, warranting compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151.

The Veteran's service-connected traumatic arthritis of the right knee is currently rated as 10 percent disabling, but does not meet the criteria for a higher rating due to lack of objective evidence of limitation of motion or instability.

The Board found no evidence of current hearing loss disability or dental condition due to service, and thus denied the Veteran's claims for service connection.

The Board has remanded the case for further development, including obtaining a VA examination and opinion regarding the Veteran's right ear hearing loss and left ear hearing loss. The claims are inextricably intertwined as they both relate to service connection.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability was rated as noncompensable prior to May 29, 2008. Since then, the disability has been rated at 10 percent effective May 29, 2008. The Board found that the Veteran did not meet the criteria for a compensable rating prior to May 29, 2008 and denied his claim for increased ratings since that date.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is likely related to in-service acoustic trauma, and service connection for this condition is granted. However, there is no evidence of tinnitus during or after service, so service connection for tinnitus is denied.

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

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability is currently rated as noncompensable, and the other service-connected conditions have not resulted in a higher rating.

The Board vacated the July 2004 decision denying service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to inadequate notice and failure to consider whether tinnitus was related to in-service acoustic trauma. The evidence does not show current hearing loss disability for VA purposes, but there is a current diagnosis of right ear hearing loss. Service connection for hearing loss cannot be established as the evidence fails to show a nexus between service and the diagnosed condition.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss of the left ear, a chronic disability manifested by left-sided sensory deficit and weakness, and a right upper quadrant disability. The Veteran was not granted any increased evaluations for his other conditions.

The Board found that the Veteran did not have in-service or post-service hearing loss as contemplated by VA regulations, and thus denied his claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board found that the Veteran's service treatment records showed a hearing loss disability of the left ear upon enlistment, and subsequent in-service audiological examinations showed normal hearing. There is no post-service medical evidence of a current left ear hearing loss disability for several years after service. The preponderance of the competent evidence is against finding in-service aggravation or a nexus between any incident of service and the current diagnosis of a left ear hearing loss.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus did not occur in or are not related to his active duty service. The preponderance of evidence is against the claims.

The Board found no evidence of in-service hearing loss or tinnitus, and the Veteran's current conditions are not related to his military service. As a result, the claims for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were denied.

The Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his active military service, including exposure to noise during basic training. The Board finds that the evidence does not support a finding of service connection for these conditions.

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

The Veteran's service connection claims for back disability, bilateral leg disability (peripheral neuropathy), bilateral knee disability, bilateral foot disability, and bilateral hearing loss disability are all denied as the evidence does not support a finding that any of these conditions were incurred or aggravated by service.