Hearing loss Board decisions

The Board has determined that the Veteran was exposed to herbicide agents while stationed at Nakhon Phanom Air Force Base in Thailand, and service connection for diabetes mellitus is granted based on this exposure. The other claims of service connection are not addressed as they are remanded.

The VA determined that the Veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability is not related to his military service, as there was no significant threshold shift in hearing acuity during service and civilian noise exposure and presbycusis were likely contributory factors.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded due to the need for a more recent VA examination and additional treatment records.

The Veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss did not cause his death from mechanical chest compression. The appellant's claim for nonservice-connected death pension was granted for the initial period.

The Board found no evidence of an acquired psychiatric disorder being incurred as a result of service, and denied the Veteran's claim for service connection.

The Board denied the Veteran's request to reopen his claim for service connection for residuals of a fracture of cervical vertebrae, as he did not submit new and material evidence. The claims for hearing loss and tinnitus are pending and will be addressed in the REMAND portion.

The Board found no evidence of a service connection for bilateral hearing loss or degenerative disorder of the back, as there was no in-service injury and current conditions are not related to service.

The Board has determined that additional development is needed to properly adjudicate the Veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. This includes obtaining records from the Air Force Base in Wichita, Kansas and affording the Veteran a VA examination.

The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is rated at 10 percent, the maximum available under VA rating criteria. The appeal has been denied.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's conditions are related to his military service.

The Board has granted service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the Veteran's current conditions are causally related to his in-service acoustic trauma.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is not related to his military service and therefore denied his claim for service connection.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded to comply with the Court's June 2004 decision, which found that VA had failed to provide proper notice. Additional development is needed for compliance with VA's duty to assist and notify.

The Board has determined that the veteran's service-connected left ear hearing loss does not warrant a compensable evaluation.

The Board found that the Veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred as a result of any established event, injury, or disease during active service. The claims for entitlement to service connection are denied.

The Board has determined that the evidence received since January 1972 is not new and material, and thus the claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss remains denied.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there is no evidence of a nexus between these conditions and his military service.

The Veteran's claim for a higher rating for incomplete paralysis of the left ulnar nerve was denied as his condition did not meet the criteria for a higher rating. His claim for a compensable rating for bilateral hearing loss was also denied.

The Veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for tinnitus, hearing loss, head pain, and breathing problem/pain in chest, to include as due to Gulf War hazard exposure were denied. The Board found that the Veteran did not have a current disability related to her claimed conditions.

The Board has determined that new and material evidence has been submitted to reopen the previously denied claim for service connection for an ear disability, including residuals of a mine explosion. The Veteran's tinnitus is also granted as service connected, and his bilateral hearing loss is also granted as service connected.