Hearing loss Board decisions

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have current bilateral hearing loss or tinnitus, and therefore service connection for these conditions is denied.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not etiologically linked to his service or any incident therein, and thus denied the claims for service connection.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been received to reopen the Veteran's claims for service connection for low back disability, hearing loss, and prostate condition, including residuals of a urinary tract infection. The Veteran's current conditions are found to be related to his active military service.

The Board has dismissed the appeal for service connection for gastritis to include H. pylori due to withdrawal by the Veteran. Service connection is granted for low back disability, and a 10 percent rating is assigned for acid reflux disease from October 1, 2004.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there was no current disability meeting VA compensation criteria for hearing loss in either ear. The left ear hearing loss was not shown to be aggravated by service, and the right ear hearing loss did not meet the threshold for a recognized disability under 38 C.F.R. § 3.385. Tinnitus was also not shown to have been incurred during service.

The Veteran's PTSD has been rated at 30% since November 2005. The Board has now granted a 70% rating effective May 13, 2005.

The Board has determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is related to his military service, including acoustic trauma from combat in Korea. The decision grants the claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has not been received to reopen the claim for service connection for a back disability.,Service connection is established for bilateral hearing loss.,Service connection is also established for tinnitus.

The Board has determined that a VA examination is needed to determine the relationship between the Veteran's current hearing loss and tinnitus and his military service, as well as to clarify the onset of tinnitus.

The Veteran's claim for a TDIU is being remanded due to the need for additional medical opinion regarding his service-connected disabilities and their impact on his ability to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation.

The Board found no evidence of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, as the Veteran did not have a current disability during or within one year after service. The earliest documented hearing impairment was in 2002, approximately five decades post-service.

The VA determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss did not meet the criteria for service connection due to lack of evidence showing a link between his in-service noise exposure and his current condition, as well as the significant time lapse since his military service.

The Board finds that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is not attributable to service, and thus denies his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are being remanded due to the need for further development, including a VA examination.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for a VA examination to determine if the Veteran's current hearing loss is related to his in-service noise exposure.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus of the left ear and initial rating for bilateral hearing loss were denied. The Board found no evidence linking current left ear tinnitus to service, and there was no competent opinion supporting a nexus between current bilateral hearing loss and service.

The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred in or aggravated by active service, nor may they be presumed to have been incurred therein. Therefore, service connection for these conditions was denied.

The Board denied the reopening of a claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Veteran's initial claim for an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss was denied as his hearing impairment did not warrant a higher rating at any point during the appeal period.

The Board has reopened the Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to in-service noise exposure and finds that it is related to his military service.