Hearing loss Board decisions

The veteran's claims for PTSD, hearing loss, and tinnitus were granted effective from December 24, 2002.,PTSD, hearing loss, and tinnitus have been awarded retroactively to the date of claim (December 24, 2002).,No specific effective date was assigned for these conditions as they are considered new claims filed after a final denial.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for a compensable rating for right ear hearing loss and service connection for visual impairment, finding no evidence of in-service injury or disease related to these conditions.

The Board has determined that the VA examination report is inadequate for rating purposes and remands the case to provide a new examination. The veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are being remanded.

The Board has determined that the veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus are not related to his military service, as there is no evidence of hearing impairment or tinnitus during service. The post-service medical records do not show any complaints or treatment for these conditions until many years after service ended.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for an initial evaluation in excess of 30 percent for PTSD, finding that his symptoms did not warrant a higher rating. The veteran was assigned a 30 percent disability rating for PTSD.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus, finding that there is no evidence of in-service injury or disease resulting in current disabilities. The claim for PTSD was also denied as there is insufficient evidence to establish a nexus between the disability and service.

The Board has determined that the appellant's current diagnoses of bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are causally related to his in-service noise exposure, and thus service connection is granted for these conditions.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss was not incurred in or aggravated by active duty and is not etiologically related to service. As a result, service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied.

The Board found that the veteran's current bilateral hearing loss disability is not related to service and denied his claim for service connection.

The Board has determined that the appellant's bilateral hearing loss is related to noise exposure during active duty training (ACDUTRA) service, and thus grants service connection for this condition.

The Board has remanded the case due to an inadequate VA examination and opinion regarding the veteran's employability due to his service-connected bilateral hearing loss.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss and residuals of osteomyelitis of the right femur, finding no evidence of a medical nexus between any current disabilities and his period of active service.

The Board found that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss disability did not meet the criteria for a compensable initial rating, as his average puretone thresholds and speech recognition scores did not exceed the levels contemplated for the currently assigned non-compensable rating.

The Board has determined that the veteran's hearing loss and tinnitus are not service-connected, as there is no evidence of a nexus between these conditions and his military service. The secondary service connection claim for hypertension due to diabetes mellitus was also denied. The evaluations for right knee fracture, diabetes mellitus, and diabetic neuropathy were not established based on the available evidence.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a current hearing loss disability in his right ear, as defined by VA regulations. Therefore, service connection for right ear hearing loss is denied.

The Board denied the veteran's claims of entitlement to service connection for bilateral hearing loss, low back disability, and skin cancer. The evidence did not support a finding that these conditions were incurred or aggravated by military service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's current bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus are not shown to be etiologically related to his military service.

The veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss is rated at 30 percent, but the Board finds that a higher rating is not warranted.,The veteran's service-connected degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine is currently rated at 20 percent. The Board finds no basis to grant a higher rating.,The veteran's hiatal hernia and duodenal ulcer are currently rated as noncompensable, but the Board finds that a compensable rating is warranted based on their severity.,The cervical strain with limitation of motion is found to be secondary to service-connected low back disability. The Board grants service connection for this condition.,The veteran's bilateral knee disorder is not considered to be related to his service or any service-connected disability, and the Board denies service connection.

The Board denied the veteran's claim for service connection for right ear hearing loss and also denied his attempt to reopen a previously denied claim for pes planus. The denial of both claims is based on the absence of evidence of current disability meeting VA compensation criteria.

The veteran's right eye disability is rated at 10 percent, but the evidence does not support a higher rating.,The veteran's residuals of a fracture symphysis of the mandible are currently rated as noncompensable. The VA examiner found no residual effects from the injury.