Hearing loss Board decisions

The Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including arteriosclerotic heart disease with myocardial infarction, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and gastritis, peptic ulcer disease, insomnia, right ear hearing loss, left ear hearing loss, headaches, shortness of breath or respiratory disease, circulatory insufficiency of the legs and feet (peripheral vascular disease), bilateral ankle edema, blurry vision, and gout were denied as there is no evidence linking these conditions to service.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional development, including providing a notice letter and scheduling a VA examination to assess his service-connected hearing loss.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities rendered him unable to secure and follow a substantially gainful occupation, leading to the grant of TDIU effective May 17, 2005.

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

The Board has denied service connection for tinnitus due to a lack of evidence linking the condition to active duty service. The Veteran's claim for hearing loss is pending, as VA needs to obtain additional personnel records related to his Reserve status.

The VA determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is not related to his military service, as evidenced by normal hearing at both ears upon retirement from active duty.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss, finding that his current hearing loss did not manifest during or as a result of his active military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and candida esophagitis. The decision found that his bilateral hearing loss was not caused or made worse by military service, he does not have a current diagnosis of tinnitus, and his candida esophagitis is unrelated to his military service.

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

The Veteran's claim for increased ratings for residuals of a gunshot wound to the right pleural cavity with partial resection of ribs eight and nine, as well as his bilateral hearing loss from December 11, 2007 to the present, was denied. The maximum schedular rating of 20 percent is assigned for the gunshot wound condition.

The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an increased rating for bilateral hearing loss and did not address his service connection claim for diabetes mellitus, type II.

The Board has determined that the Veteran does not have a current diagnosis of left ear hearing loss for VA purposes and therefore, service connection for this condition is denied.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for PTSD, bilateral hearing loss disability, left shoulder disability, right knee disability, and hypertension as there was no credible supporting evidence of a stressor and the Veteran did not engage in combat. The Veteran also had normal hearing during service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and vision impairment were denied as there was no credible evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding no evidence linking these conditions to his active service. The decision also noted that new and material evidence had not been submitted to reopen the previously denied claims.

The Veteran's claims for nerve and muscle damage due to surgery, right groin (to include right pelvic/hip damage causing the right side to be shorter than the left), root canal problems (to include gum disease with loss of teeth), fibromyalgia (to include body wide sickness and nausea secondary to dental work and extreme fatigue), depression, insomnia, neck problems (claimed as neck problems with bone spurring), back problems (claimed as scoliosis in the spine), chronic ear problems (claimed as hole punctured and eardrum), anemia, vision problems (to include an eye condition), hearing loss, impairment of the right knee, right foot condition, head condition, carpal tunnel syndrome, right (also claimed as paralysis of medial nerve), left knee condition, and left foot condition have all been denied due to lack of new and material evidence.

The Board finds that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are as likely as not related to his military service, with the onset of high frequency hearing loss during active duty. The decision grants service connection for these conditions.

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

The Board found that the appellant does not have qualifying service for VA non-service-connected pension benefits and denied his claims for service connection for arthritis of both knees, arthritis of both ankles, and bilateral hearing loss.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for diabetes mellitus, hepatitis C, bilateral hearing loss, and tinnitus have been denied as there is no current disability or evidence of in-service disease or injury.