Hearing loss Board decisions

The veteran is seeking an effective date prior to August 16, 2004 for the grant of service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to a CUE in a February 1951 rating decision. The case requires additional development by obtaining medical records from his Navy Reserve duty.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and sleep apnea, as well as his claim for an increased rating for a lumbar spine disability. The decision also noted that new evidence submitted since the last final denial did not meet the criteria to reopen the previously denied claim for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus and reopened the claim of service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The rating for generalized anxiety disorder remains at 30 percent.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a current hearing loss disability as defined by VA regulations and therefore, service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied.,There is no competent medical evidence linking the veteran's tinnitus to his military service. The claim for service connection for tinnitus is also denied.

The Board has granted service connection for right ear hearing loss and tinnitus. The claim of an initial compensable rating for left ear hearing loss is remanded.

The veteran's dyshidrotic eczematous dermatitis is rated at 60 percent, the highest available under Diagnostic Code 7816. Her bilateral hearing loss remains noncompensable.

The Board found that the veteran's current hearing loss and tinnitus were not related to his active service or any incident therein, including exposure to acoustic trauma. The most probative evidence shows that these conditions did not have their onset in service or for many years thereafter.

The Board found that the veteran's right ear hearing loss did not worsen beyond its natural progression during service, and thus denied service connection. The left ear hearing loss was noted to have fluctuated but remained within normal limits at separation, leading to denial of service connection as well. Tinnitus was also denied due to lack of evidence of continuity of symptomatology.

The Board has remanded the veteran's claims for additional development due to the need for VA audiological and ENT examinations, as well as a VA podiatry or orthopedic examination.

The Board of Veterans' Appeals has determined that the veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability is not service-connected, as there is no evidence showing onset within one year after service separation and the medical opinions are against a finding of service connection.

The veteran's claim for an increased evaluation in excess of 10 percent for his left ear hearing loss is being remanded due to the failure to report for VA audiological examinations and address changes.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have tinnitus or hearing loss that is attributable to his military service.

The Board has ordered the RO to obtain VA treatment records and, if necessary, a July 1997 record from a Pittsburgh VA facility. The veteran will be scheduled for a VA audiological examination if his hearing loss is found to be current under the criteria in 38 C.F.R. § 3.385.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for left ear hearing loss and an initial compensable rating for right ear hearing loss.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss was not incurred in or aggravated by service and is denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current hearing loss and lung disorder are not related to his military service, and thus denied both claims for service connection.

The veteran seeks service connection for various conditions, and the Board has determined that a remand is necessary to obtain additional development of his claims.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have current disabilities related to his claimed conditions, and therefore, service connection cannot be established for residuals of malaria, hypertension, back injury, or rash as a result of exposure to herbicides. The claim for bilateral hearing loss is also denied.

The Board found that the veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his military service, and thus denied his claims for service connection.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for clarification of the nature and etiology of the veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, as well as a determination on whether his pre-existing hearing loss underwent an increase in disability during service.