Hearing loss Board decisions

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including a left knee condition, right knee condition, stomach disorder, bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus, and a left wrist scar. The RO previously denied these claims in September 2002 without reopening them.

The veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss has been rated as 20 percent disabling since February 8, 2007. Prior to that date, the disability was not compensable.

The Board has determined that the veteran does not have a current disability for which service connection can be granted, specifically bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. The VA examiners found no evidence of these conditions during or after service.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for further evaluation of his service-connected bilateral hearing loss, as he testified to increased severity since the last VA examination in May 2005.

The Board denied the veteran's claims for service connection for right ear hearing loss and left ear hearing loss. The evidence did not show current right ear hearing loss disability, but there was competent evidence showing left ear hearing loss that is the result of acoustic trauma during service.

The Board has determined that the veteran's bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus were not incurred in or aggravated by active service, and may not be presumed to have been so incurred or aggravated.

The RO denied the veteran's claims for service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, and a right knee disability due to lack of causal relationship to service. The decisions were final.

The Board has denied the veteran's claims for service connection for residuals of a broken nose, right ear hearing loss, hand and elbow disorder, peripheral neuropathy of the right lower extremity, and increased rating for DDD of the lumbar spine. The evidence did not establish new and material evidence to reopen any of these claims.

The Board denied the veteran's request to reopen his service connection claim for hearing loss of the right ear, finding that new and material evidence had not been submitted.

The veteran's appeal is being remanded for additional procedural development due to a lack of VCAA notice.

The Board has remanded the case due to the need for a Statement of the Case addressing issues related to earlier effective dates and an extraschedular rating.

The Board has remanded the claims for further development due to incomplete service medical records and other missing evidence.

The VA denied a compensable rating for the veteran's service-connected bilateral hearing loss, citing audiometric test results that did not meet criteria for higher ratings.

The Board has determined that there is a need for further VA examination and development of evidence to determine the validity of the veteran's claims for service connection for PTSD and bilateral hearing loss.

The veteran's claim for service connection for bronchitis was denied. The claims for increased ratings of major depressive disorder, GERD, and bilateral hearing loss were granted. Service connection for contact dermatitis is not addressed in the decision.

The Board has determined that the veteran's hearing loss disability warrants an initial noncompensable evaluation from August 31, 1999 to May 18, 2004 and a subsequent initial 10 percent evaluation for bilateral hearing loss starting from May 19, 2004.

The Board granted service connection for PTSD and assigned a 10 percent initial evaluation, effective from October 15, 2001. The veteran's claim to reopen his bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus claims was denied. His application for an increased rating for PTSD was also denied.

The Board has determined that the veteran's hearing loss in the right ear and tinnitus were not incurred or aggravated by service, as there is no medical evidence linking these conditions to his military service. The Board also found that the veteran did not provide any information or evidence to support his claims.

The Board has reopened the veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus and bilateral hearing loss, but denied both on the merits.