Hearing loss Board decisions

The Board has determined that the veteran's current left ankle disability and bilateral hearing loss are as likely as not related to his service, including noise exposure in Vietnam. Therefore, these claims for service connection are granted.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for initial compensable ratings for hearing loss of the right ear and a perforated tympanic membrane of the right ear, finding that there is no legal basis to award higher schedular ratings.

The VA has granted service connection for bilateral sensorineural hearing loss and assigned a 0 percent disability rating, effective October 29, 2004. The veteran's hearing impairment was found to be Level I in both ears at the time of the initial grant of service connection.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss due to lack of evidence linking the condition to active military service. The veteran's new evidence does not provide such a link.

The veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions were denied. The Board found that the veteran did not have a current disability for hearing loss, residuals of a left hamstring strain, contact dermatitis, periodontal disease, or a strain of the left knee muscle. Hemorrhoids and vision loss (myopia and astigmatism) are not service-connected as they do not meet the criteria for VA compensation.,The veteran's claim for high cholesterol was withdrawn prior to decision.

The veteran's claim for TDIU is being remanded due to the inadequacy of the July 2005 VA examination, which did not address his service-connected disabilities and their impact on employment.

The Board has determined that it is at least as likely as not that the veteran's hearing loss of the left ear had its onset in service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The VA has determined that the veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss does not meet the criteria for a compensable rating at any point since August 1, 2001.

The Board has granted service connection for residuals of a skull fracture, tinnitus, and right ear hearing loss. The veteran's current conditions are related to his military service or a service-connected disorder.

The veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and chronic otitis are being remanded due to the need for additional medical examination and opinion regarding the etiology of these conditions.

The veteran's appeal was granted, with a 20% disability rating for post-operative residuals of temporomandibular joint dysfunction from August 18, 2004. The other claims were either denied or not addressed in the decision.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including scheduling a VA skin examination and issuance of a supplemental statement of the case.

The VA has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss does not meet or exceed the criteria for a compensable evaluation.

The Board has determined that there is no current diagnosis of hearing loss and tinnitus, and thus the veteran's claims for service connection are denied.

The veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, residuals of a cut on the inner left thigh (left little finger), diabetes mellitus type II, and migraine headaches have been denied as there is no evidence showing these conditions are related to his military service.

The VA determined that the veteran's hearing loss does not warrant a rating greater than zero percent, and thus denied his claim for an initial (compensable) disability rating for bilateral hearing loss.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of a left leg injury, residuals of cold injury to the feet, and bilateral hearing loss. However, it denied these claims on their merits as there is no current evidence of disabilities or a reasonable possibility of substantiating them.

The Board found sufficient evidence to grant service connection for bilateral hearing loss, attributing it to in-service noise exposure without ear protection.

The Board has reopened the claim of service connection for hearing loss, but finds that additional development is necessary regarding the underlying service connection claim. The matter will be remanded to the RO for further action.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a current bilateral hearing loss disability for VA purposes and denied his claim of service connection for this condition. The claims of service connection for tinnitus and asbestosis are remanded for further development.