Hearing loss Board decisions

The Board found that the veteran had submitted new and material evidence to reopen a claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, but denied the claim on the merits. The claim for tinnitus was not reopened.

The veteran's claims for earlier effective dates and service connection were denied as the evidence did not support the claims.

The veteran's claim for a rating in excess of 10 percent for left ear otitis media was denied as the maximum schedular rating had already been assigned.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, as there was no evidence of a disability related to his military service.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded to the RO for further development and consideration of his claims.

The veteran's claims for service connection for a bilateral shoulder condition, left and right knee conditions, and bilateral hearing loss are being remanded for further development.

The Board denied service connection for chronic bilateral hearing loss disability, chronic tinnitus, a chronic temporomandibular joint disorder, and a chronic dental disorder. The veteran's claim for an earlier effective date for the award of a 30 percent evaluation for his chronic bilateral maxillary sinusitis was also denied.

The veteran's claims for increased ratings and earlier effective dates were denied as the evidence did not support higher evaluations or earlier effective dates.

The Board grants service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that the evidence is in equipoise as to whether these conditions are causally related to noise exposure during active service.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and actinic and seborrheic keratoses as there was no evidence of a diagnosis or treatment during service, and no competent medical evidence linking these conditions to his military service.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus as the evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were incurred in or aggravated by service.

The veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension, to include as secondary to diabetes mellitus type II, was reopened and denied. The veteran's bilateral hearing loss does not warrant a compensable evaluation.

The veteran's claim for an initial compensable rating for left ear hearing loss was denied, and the claim for service connection for right ear hearing loss was also denied.

The veteran's bilateral hearing loss does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating.

The Board remands the claim for a VA examination to determine if the veteran's current hearing loss is causally related to active service.

The veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss is rated at 20 percent, and the Board found that a higher rating was not warranted based on the audiometric test results.

The appeal is remanded to obtain additional evidence, including VA medical records and the veteran's personnel file, and for a new examination.

The veteran's bilateral hearing loss was not related to his service and a sensorineural hearing loss may not be presumed to have been incurred in service.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss as there was no evidence of a chronic disability in service or within one year of discharge, and no competent medical evidence linking the current hearing loss to his military service.

The veteran's claim for a higher initial rating for bilateral hearing loss disability was denied as the evidence did not support a disability rating in excess of 20 percent.