Hearing loss Board decisions

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for service connection for tinnitus and hearing loss, finding that no earlier effective dates are warranted based on the evidence of record.

The Board found that the veteran's current bilateral hearing loss is not related to his military service, as there was no evidence of hearing loss during service and no continuity of symptomatology. The examiner concluded that the veteran's hearing loss is sensorineural in nature and not caused by impacted cerumen.

The Board has granted service connection for headaches, lumbosacral spine degenerative arthritis with degenerative disc disease at L5-S1, and denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The veteran's headaches are found to have had its onset during active service.

The Board has decided to remand the case for further action, including scheduling a hearing before a Veterans Law Judge at the RO.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for an effective date prior to June 7, 2004, for a total disability rating based on individual unemployability (TDIU) due to service-connected disabilities.

The VA determined that the veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred in active service or due to any incident therein, as there was no evidence of such conditions during his military service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss manifested during service and is related to his military service, granting service connection for this condition. The decision on tinnitus will be remanded as it requires further examination and opinion.

The veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus have been granted, with a 10% disability rating effective March 3, 2000. The issues of service connection for degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine and neck condition are not currently before the Board.

The Board found that neither hearing loss nor tinnitus is attributable to the veteran's military service, and thus denied both claims.

The Board found that the veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus did not manifest during service or within one year of separation, and were not related to military service. Asbestos-related pleural plaques do not cause current functional impairment.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there was no evidence of such conditions during or within one year after service.

The Board has remanded the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and a low back disability. The case will be returned to the RO for further action.

The Board has determined that the veteran's claims for service connection for a bilateral hearing loss disability and chloracne or chronic acneform eruption, other than multiple follicular cysts in both ears, are denied as there is no evidence of such conditions during service or within one year post-service. The claim for service connection for sores on arms was previously denied but new and material evidence has been received to reopen the claim.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are the result of noise exposure during his military service, warranting service connection.

The Board dismissed the appellant's appeal as he withdrew his claim for service connection for pneumonia. The hearing loss claim was also dismissed because there is no evidence of a nexus between the appellant's current bilateral hearing loss and his military service.

The Board has granted the veteran's petition to reopen his claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. The evidence now shows that these conditions are related to noise exposure during military service, leading to a grant of service connection.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred in or related to service, including as a result of noise exposure. The claims for service connection are therefore denied.

The veteran seeks compensation under 38 U.S.C.A. § 1151 for bilateral hearing loss, which he contends is due to a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan conducted at VA in May 2003. The case is being remanded for further development and examination.

The Board has remanded the case for further development due to a lack of a valid medical nexus opinion and the need for an examination.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability is at least as likely as not related to his in-service exposure to acoustic trauma, and thus grants service connection for this condition.